How I Met You
by apriiil
Summary: Bickslow lived a certain life, and with a certain lifestyle comes consequences. Of course, he never expected one of those consequences to quite literally show up at his front door and ruin his day.
1. The Day I Met You

**Do I need to say anything other than I was procrastinating? Probably, but you all should know that I write when I put off my uni work, and I have been doing a lot of writing in the last few weeks.**

 **Anyway. Another chapter BixLu story, and I'm not even going to apologise. I'm slowly trying to take over the world with BixLu stories, and given that I have way too many at the moment (written, that is), I'm confident that world domination will be in the near future. Muahahaha.**

 **This is probably going to end up being similar to A Peculiar Situation, but at the same time, it's going to be very different. The idea just kind of stuck in my head a few weeks ago, and as much as I wanted to put off writing it until after BixLu week and my exams and my other stories, I couldn't. I needed to work on something a little less depressing than S &S and Shattered (both of which are coming along nicely! S&S chapter next week, hopefully!). **

**I'd like to thank CelticHeart13 for letting me bounce ideas off of her, constantly. My rambling never ceases, and I apologise that you have to put up with it, but at the same time, I'm not going to apologise because you helped with this too.**

 **With that, I'd love to know what you all think of this story so far, even though it's just a prologue. Updates aren't going to be very frequent (I'll be working on S &S, APS, Shattered, and Three Months all simultaneously, and I don't think I could manage working on another story with so many going at once... so I'll wait until BixLu week is over), so don't expect new chapters like I had with APS and S&S. **

**Regardless, I still hope you enjoy it so far! I'd still work on this some more, whether you all hate it or not. ;)**

 **\- April**

* * *

The sounds of the chirping birds just outside her window slowly eased Lucy from her slumber, and with a soft smile, she rolled over to her other side just in time to see the energetic girl with the bright smile and the slightly wavy blonde hair that was tucked behind one ear bound across the hardwood floors and jump up onto the bed.

"Morning, you," Lucy said as she lifted one arm to pull the now giggling girl in for a quick hug.

"Happy birthday, Mummy," the girl said cheerily as she leant down to press a soft kiss to her mother's cheek before sitting back up on her knees. "Daddy said we had to wait until after breakfast before we gave you your presents," she said with a pout.

Slowly, Lucy pushed herself up to sit up in the bed, and as she did so, she grimaced slightly, her laughter quickly fading. Her aching back had been giving her all sorts of trouble lately, but hey, it was all part of being pregnant. As much as she'd enjoyed it for the last six months, she was glad that it would all be over in just a couple more months and she'd finally be able to hold the newest edition to her little family in her arms.

As she swung her legs around the side of the bed and slowly stood up, one hand resting on her lower back and her other outstretched towards the bed, she looked back to her daughter with a smile and said, "How about I go get my breakfast then?"

When the near five-year-old she called her daughter tried her very best to drag her out of the room, she laughed, and of course, gave in and let herself be led out of the room. She could never resist giving in to her daughter, whether it be to let the girl sleep in the middle of the bed between herself and her father, or to being dragged out a room to go and get food. She did have to admit that she was pretty hungry though. Of course, it didn't help that the smell from whatever was being made that was coming from the kitchen was pretty damn amazing.

So when they finally reached the end of the hall and went out into the main living area, the girl finally released her mother's hand and ran off to sit on the floor in the lounge and promptly went back to her colouring book and trying her best to stay within the lines.

"So, what's for breakfast?" Lucy asked as she walked around the counter to observe what had already been dished up – a plate with waffles, already with maple syrup drizzled all over them, another with bacon, eggs, and hash browns, a small bowl of strawberries, and a large pitcher with orange juice. It was everything she loved to have for breakfast – apart from waffles, though. She'd come to hate waffles in her pregnancy, and she wasn't entirely sure why.

At the voice, Bickslow turned to look over his shoulder from where he stood at the stove, and with a frown he then turned around to look towards his daughter in the living room. "Scout," he called, using the nickname she'd grown up with. "I didn't mean to go and wake her up," he complained with a sigh.

"It's okay, Bix," Lucy laughed as she turned to lean against the counter, reaching for a strawberry from the bowl just behind her. "I was already awake."

"But still," Bickslow turned back to the stove to take the last pancake out of the frying pan and place it on the plate that was already piled high with pancakes. "It was _supposed_ to be breakfast in bed."

Lucy's lips pulled up into a mischievous smirk as Bickslow placed the plate on the island counter with the rest of the already plated food. " _Actual_ breakfast in bed?"

"Well, I figured you'd prefer some _actual_ breakfast," he murmured as his arms wound around Lucy's waist and between the counter, and then with his own smirk he leant down to lightly press his lips to hers. "Happy birthday though."

"Mmm, thank you," she murmured in response. "But as right as you are, I really wouldn't have minded something other than pancakes for breakfast all that much."

"I know you wouldn't, which is why I thought _dessert_ in bed would be much nicer," Bickslow chuckled before stealing another quick kiss and briefly drowning out Lucy's giggling. "Alright," he turned to the side to arrange three plates in front of him, all while keeping one arm around Lucy. "Scout, whaddya want for breakfast?" he called.

The girl quickly got up from where she sat on the floor in front of the coffee table, dropping the orange pencil she'd been using back to the table that was littered with crayons, pencils, and coloured markers in every colour of the rainbow. She hummed in thought for a moment when she came up to the counter and eyed the selection available, her hands resting on top of the marble surface. "Hmm… waffles!" she exclaimed with a grin that she surprisingly and definitely did not get from her mother.

"Waffles it is," Bickslow replied as he took the tongs from where they sat on a folded up tea towel on the edge of the counter, and then effortlessly took the ones from the top of the stack and placed them on the first plate. "Strawberries too?" he asked, knowing full well that his daughter tended to enjoy the fruit just a little bit too much. It was something she'd most likely gotten from her mother, given that the woman was still eating them as she looked between each plate that was piled high with food.

"And cream!" she said excitedly.

Lucy frowned as Bickslow stopped, both of them eyeing the grinning girl on the opposite side of the counter. "Scarlett, aren't you forgetting something?" Lucy asked, opting for the girl's full name to stress the importance of the issue. It wasn't like the girl had an issue with her actual name, because in truth, she had no preference when it came to being called by her nickname or her full name. Though, 'Scout' was only really used by her parents; everyone else just called her Scarlett, and she just couldn't care less, and she was only five (well… almost).

"And cream, _please_ ," Scarlett giggled.

"That's better," Bickslow said with a grin as he took the can of whipped cream from Lucy and spread it in a circle on the top of the waffles, and then neatly placed the strawberries that Lucy had been chopping up on top of everything.

As he lifted the plate to place it back down on the other side of the counter in front of Scarlett, Lucy filled a small glass with the orange juice from the pitcher and walked back around the counter and over to the dining table to place the glass on one of the coasters.

Scarlett carefully took the plate in her hands after standing on her tip-toes to get it from a better angle. "Thank you, Daddy!" she beamed while quickly dashing off towards the dining table. Well, as quickly as her little legs could manage.

"You are very welcome," Bickslow said before turning back to Lucy when she came back to the counter, and snaking an arm around her side again and pressing a kiss to her cheek, he murmured, "And what about the birthday girl, huh?"

"Well… I can't decide between pancakes and the bacon and eggs, to be honest," she said, staring at the food that just smelled way too amazing.

Bickslow smirked again. "You want both, don't you?"

"I kinda do," Lucy mumbled, and at the sound of Bickslow laughing, she looked up and playfully shoved his shoulder, trying her best to stop herself from smirking. "Hey, don't judge me. I'm eating for two, remember?"

"Cosplayer, you could eat the world's biggest pizza and I still wouldn't judge you," he said. "Hell, I'd be proud. So if you want to eat both pancakes and bacon and eggs—"

"…Don't forget the hash browns."

"—for breakfast, then I have absolutely zero problems with you doing so. Besides, why do you think I cooked so much in the first place?"

Lucy smiled before craning her neck to kiss his cheek, as his mouth was otherwise occupied by a piece of crispy bacon he'd picked up, not that she minded, really. "Because you know me too well," she murmured. "Love you, Bixy."

"Love you too, Cosplayer," he replied. "Now, time for breakfast."

* * *

Lucy looked up from her book when the bedroom door opened, and when she saw Scarlett standing out in the dark hall, one hand sleepily rubbing her eyes and the other holding one of Bickslow's babies tightly while the other four hovered just behind her, she marked her page with the bookmark and placed it on the nightstand.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Lucy asked softly as the small girl slowly walked across the room before climbing up onto the bed and making herself comfortable under the covers right next to Lucy in the middle of the bed. "Another bad dream?" she asked again while gently stroking a hand through the blonde hair that was a few shades darker than her own.

Scarlett nodded as the babies flew out of the way to balance themselves on the top of the headboard while she shifted ever so slightly to hug Lucy's tummy, her head resting gently on top of it.

"Aw, Scout," Lucy whispered as she looked down to the frightened girl with a frown. "They're just dreams, remember? You know they can't hurt you."

"But they scare me."

"I know they do, but it's all over now. You're okay here, because there's nothing that can scare you here."

Scarlett nodded again and closed her eyes, being that it was way past her bedtime, and Lucy continued to gently run her fingers through the girl's hair. It was only after a few more moments of silence where Lucy just smiled down softly at her daughter did Bickslow finally emerge from the door just opposite the foot of the bed that led to their walk-in closet and bathroom.

 _Well, there goes dessert_ , he thought almost half-heartedly at the sight of his daughter and Lucy curled up on the bed. It wasn't like he was that disappointed though – sure, he was just a little bit, because _dessert_ was pretty fucking good. Pun intended – because in truth, his daughter was more important, and if she had to be comforted in any way, shape, or form, then that came first.

As he pushed back the covers on his side of the bed while switching on the other lamp in the room, he looked towards Lucy and whispered, "Nightmare?" When she nodded, he sighed quietly before finally climbing in and sliding down under the blanket, careful not to pull on it too much to upset either of the girls in his bed.

"Mummy?" Scarlett said quietly after a few more moments of silence where Bickslow had gone to having a silent conversation with the babies as they hovered just in front of him, and Lucy had returned to reading her book in one hand.

"Yeah, sweetie?" Lucy replied, folding the book around her thumb to keep her spot and letting it rest just next to her.

"Was I in your tummy too?"

And as Scarlett lifted her head to look up to her mother anxiously, completely missing the fact that she'd completely frozen in place and was staring at her belly without focusing, Bickslow's head quickly turned to look at his daughter, and as he did so, the babies, too, froze in the air. Everyone in the room had frozen from the girl's innocent question, and it wasn't because they hadn't been expecting it.

In truth, Bickslow and Lucy had been waiting for her to ask that question, because Scarlett had seemed to have asked every other question imaginable (and unimaginable, for that matter). She'd asked how the baby got in Lucy's tummy in the first place, and the answer was one that had tested Bickslow and Lucy's quick thinking skills; she'd asked how the baby was getting out, and that time, Bickslow had had to walk out laughing, leaving Lucy to come up with an answer to that one on her own; she'd asked whether they were going to love the new baby more than her, and then a million other things.

But she hadn't asked if she, too, had come from Lucy's tummy, and even though it was a question that they'd been waiting for (because it was both a miracle and a mystery that she hadn't until that point), they didn't really know how to answer it. Not for the most part, anyway.

It wasn't a simple answer in the slightest, and even though Scarlett acted older than she really was, Bickslow and Lucy had wanted to put off a certain conversation for just a little while longer because they weren't sure how she'd handle the news.

So as Lucy finally turned to Bickslow with a pleading look on her face, silently begging him for assistance, he sat up in the bed and ran a hand haphazardly through his hair while the babies returned to their spot on the top of the headboard. It was time to have a conversation that he'd been dreading for so many years.

"Hey, Scarlett," he said softly. "How about a story before bed?"

The girl rolled onto her back to look up to her father with a bright smile and a nod before she shuffled down the bed and pulled the blankets up to her chin, making herself comfortable between both her parents. She loved her bedtime stories.

Bickslow smiled before glancing back up to Lucy who just nodded with her own sad smile. "Right," he said, rubbing his hands together as he looked back down to his daughter. "How about I tell you the story of how I met you?"

* * *

It was a beautiful day in Magnolia; the sun was shining brightly, the birds were chirping, and there was just the smallest hint of a breeze that made the day absolutely perfect, and given that winter was quickly approaching, the warmer weather was a much welcomed change from the dreary autumn days that had preceded that very day.

For Bickslow, though, every day was perfect. Halloween was just around the corner, and being someone who just loved playing tricks on people every single day of the year, Halloween was an excuse to go all out. Sure, it wasn't April Fools' Day, but still, he liked having a reason for being an absolute jackass and playing pranks on people. Of course, his victims were usually his guild mates who had all come to appreciate the Seith mage's antics (to an extent), but when Halloween came around, Bickslow could get away with scaring all of Magnolia's children when they came trick or treating.

He'd already decorated the yard and his front porch – pumpkins sat on the steps, fake spider webs were hanging from the large tree with the falling leaves that sat in the middle of his lawn, tombstones with the names of his beloved team sat scattered around the area (much to Evergreen's distaste, of course), and ghosts and bats were strung along the eaves of the veranda.

Bickslow just absolutely loved Halloween, and he loved going all out for it. Granted, he didn't have the best yard in all of Magnolia (honestly, his neighbour outdid him every single year), and he didn't do the entire dressing up thing (because let's face it, he gave a certain blonde shit for being a cosplayer, and there was no way in hell he was going to give her a reason to call him one back. It didn't help that he basically dressed like some weird medieval knight in not so shining armour – or visor – every single day of the year), but he was still a kid at heart. He loved the holiday season immensely, and between Halloween, Christmas, and then New Years, he had plenty of opportunities to get blind drunk and pull off some of the best pranks he'd ever done. Of course, he never remembered them, but he always heard about them from the prankees.

But still, even though he loved the holiday season, Bickslow had never once decorated his yard for Christmas. Hell, he didn't even have a Christmas tree. Halloween was where it was at.

On this particular morning though, Bickslow stood in his kitchen wearing nothing but his bright purple boxers (oh, the joys of living alone) and staring at the black tiled wall in front of him while absentmindedly waving the spatula in his hand. The bacon that was frying in the pan was lost to him as he coincidentally found himself lost in his thoughts.

He had the morning off, not needing to be on a train for a job a few towns over until just after noon, so Bickslow wondered just what he could do to occupy himself until then.

 _I could go to the guild_ , he thought, his head tilting slightly as he pondered what he could do at the guild. _Oh! Cosplayer will probably be there. I could probably ask if she's dressing up as hot cheerleader for Halloween… that's always fun._

 _Or maybe even dispute Elfman's manliness, or maybe I could tell Mira I got engaged over the weekend._

Bickslow cackled to himself as he pictured the eldest Strauss ending up on the floor of the guild with hearts in her eyes. Sure, it was a blatant lie, but Bickslow just enjoyed messing with people far too much. The woman had tried to set him up with someone far too many times (she'd even gone as far as trying to set him up with her sister of all people, and it was something that had honestly traumatised Bickslow – she was like a kid, and it was weird), and each time she'd ignored Bickslow's protests. He wasn't interested in being set up with anyone, and as much as Mira wanted him to, he was most definitely not settling down any time soon.

No girlfriends, no fiancées, no weddings, and most definitely no kids. He enjoyed his no-strings-attached lifestyle far too much in the current moment.

So Bickslow continued to think of ways to entertain himself while simultaneously messing with his guild mates (they were one in the same, really) until he had to leave for his job, while sipping away at his coffee and turning the bacon once he'd remembered it was there. It was only when there was a knock at his door did he look up from the stove, and taking the frying pan off the hotplate, he put the spatula down on the counter and slowly made his way over to the door.

When he opened the door and just stared out to his decorated yard and the rows of houses on the opposite side of the street, he frowned slightly as he lifted a hand to scratch the back of his head. There was no one outside his door – not even anyone walking down the street.

"Well, that was odd," he mumbled before taking a step back from the door to push it closed behind him. It happened sometimes – kids would knock on his door and then run off. Whatever, he didn't care. It was something he would have done growing up, given he had the chance.

But as he was closing the door, something caught his eye and he did a double-take, and as soon as he did, he pulled the door open quickly and stared down to what was sitting on the ground just outside his door.

It was a baby. Well, it was a baby in a basket. But it was a baby. "What the hell?" he breathed before crouching down in his doorway to stare at the apparent newborn just outside his door. Bickslow knew almost next to nothing about children – especially babies – but he knew they couldn't knock on doors, so it meant someone had left it there, and Bickslow really wanted to know who and why.

With his brow furrowed in his confusion, he reached down to pick up the folded pieces of paper that were peeking out from under the light yellow blanket that the baby was wrapped up in. He carefully unfolded them all and after briefly skimming over what appeared to be an unfinished birth certificate and other legal documents of sorts, he looked to the one on the smaller piece of paper with the neat handwriting and placed the others down on the doormat.

 _ **Thanks for forgetting a condom, you asshole.**_

 _ **And yes, before you ask, the kid is definitely yours. Unlike you, I don't sleep with half the town.**_

 _ **There's no way in hell I'm letting her ruin my life than she already has, so enjoy the rest of yours.**_

Bickslow stared in disbelief at the baby, and then to the letter, and then back to the baby. There had to be a mistake, right? Whoever dropped the kid off must have had it all wrong, because there's no way in hell someone in their right mind would leave him with a baby, whether it was actually his or not (and that was something Bickslow was still debating).

And sure, he pretty much did sleep with half the town, and it wasn't like he _always_ wore protection (it wasn't like it was solely up to him to make sure they didn't get knocked up, either), but still, was there really any proof that the kid was really his? Of course, there were tests to establish whether he actually was the father, but did it really matter? He was twenty-three; he didn't want a kid, and he sure as hell didn't want to raise a kid on his own. It was a disaster waiting to happen.

But it didn't matter what he wanted to do about it (not that he really knew, to be honest), because he couldn't just stand there all day and leave the kid on his doorstep. _Someone_ had to look after it until he figured out what he was going to do, and until he figured out who what _someone_ was going to be, it meant _he_ had to.

So with a sigh, he picked up all of the pieces of paper that were sitting on his doorstep in one hand, and the basket in the other before slamming the door closed behind him.

It was going to be one hell of a day.

So much for no kids any time soon.


	2. The Name Game

**Remember when i said I wouldn't be updating this very often? I meant it. But, since I'm expecting to get this updated only once a month (or every two months, maybe), the chapters will be longer and have a lot more in them. Like this one. For a first chapter, it has a lot, and I'm not going to say sorry.**

 **I'm kind of going with something different with the the involvement of the babies, and you'll see what I mean. But when I say different, I say different for _me_. There's other stories that do it like this, and I've been wanting to have something like that, so this is the one where I have that. Don't hate me! **

**Anyway. I hope you like it. If not, well, oh well.**

* * *

Bickslow stared down at the newborn in the basket on his dining table, his breakfast and job later that day long since forgotten. Confused didn't even begin to scratch the surface of how he felt then. He was confused, terrified, annoyed, and he had absolutely no idea what to do.

With a scowl firmly set in place, he looked back to the letter from the mother and read it for what was probably the thirtieth time that day already. Bickslow was desperately trying to get his head around it all and attempting to understand, but it was mostly a lost cause. He couldn't begin to fathom the possibility of the baby being his, yet she apparently was. It was the fact there was no proof that had Bickslow doubting it, because with no name or even information about her at all, Bickslow had nothing to go on. The only things he did know for certain included the baby in fact being a girl, her birthday, and her mother's name. And he assumed it all to be valid, considering it was all on a birth certificate from Magnolia's general hospital.

But seeing his first name and nothing else written in that box where the father's details went had Bickslow wanting to just drop the kid off on someone else's doorstep and walk away while saying 'fuck it all'. Whether it was true or not, he wasn't cut out for that shit. It really said a lot about his lifestyle when the mother's name didn't even ring any bells for him, because he just almost never got their names. They weren't there to learn each other's life stories; they were there to fuck. That's just how simple it was, and Bickslow loved the simplicity of it all.

But no matter how much Bickslow wanted to just run away from the responsibility he'd temporarily found himself with, he knew he couldn't. Not even he could be that heartless. Until he figured out what to do, he had to at least try and act like a responsible adult; a temporary guardian, even. She was just a baby, after all. She was defenceless, tiny, fragile, and just a little – or maybe incredibly – adorable.

Bickslow would just need some help though. Until things were sorted out, he would need someone helping him with her, because aside from the fact that he was damn fucking terrified of the entire situation, he really did know nothing about babies. To Bickslow, they were complex creatures, and he sure as hell wasn't going to even risk screwing a kid up that early in its life.

"What am I gonna do with you?" he mumbled with a sigh as he finally pulled a chair out from the table and sat down on it heavily, leaning forward on his elbow to peer into the basket in front of him.

He really did have to admit she was kinda cute. It wasn't like he was opposed to kids at all, because he did want them. One day. With the right person, that is. But it wasn't something he'd put a great deal of thought into either, because it was a long way off. He wasn't settling down any time soon.

When the baby squirmed ever so slightly in her basket, it made his scowl fade and brought a soft smile to his lips. He slowly lifted a hand to reach in to the basket, and gently tucked the soft blanket in to the side when he could see it coming loose again. He didn't know what came over him then, but his hand lingered, only lightly resting against her in the basket. For whatever reason, Bickslow suddenly felt a slight urge to hold her, and he didn't know why. It almost felt as if something inside of him was begging to have her in his arms. He just didn't understand it, nor did he understand how he felt right then.

But then she shifted again and he drew his hand back suddenly, and he breathed a sigh of relief. _Yeah, no. Don't pick her up. You'd probably drop her._ And he probably would. Well, at least he thought he would.

He looked back into the basket in front of him and watched the wrapped up bundle begin to shift more, and when she let out a small yawn, it was something he smiled at again. _That's fucking adorable._

Except… She slowly opened her eyes then, and all traces of a smile were lost and all colour drained from his face. He sat up slightly just to get closer, and he found himself just inches from her own tiny face. "You mother fucker," he muttered under his breath. It wasn't really aimed at her. If anything, it was aimed at himself.

Because she had red eyes. The same red as his, more importantly.

Suddenly, Bickslow was a whole lot more convinced that the kid was actually his, because there was only one particular family in Fiore that had those eyes, and he was in that family. It was both a blessing and curse to have eyes so distinct – blood red with even darker rings in the iris – and Bickslow had always considered it a blessing. He'd always enjoyed being a little (or a lot) different, having never been one to conform to social standards.

But now? Now, he was convinced it was just a curse, because they only ran in his family, and it meant that she got her eyes from him. And all of a sudden, Bickslow was feeling a whole lot more terrified.

Pushing the chair back suddenly, Bickslow got up and began to pace a small area at the end of his table, one hand on his hip and his other in his hair and pushing it back. His heart was racing and his chest felt tight, and it was getting a whole lot harder to breathe. _What the fuck am I going to do now?_ It was pretty damn safe to assume the kid was actually his, which meant that he had his _daughter_ sitting on his dining table.

Just one word bounced around his head like it was on every drug imaginable, and Bickslow was actually beginning to wonder if he was high and the entire thing was a hallucination. He almost wished that was the case, because it would make everything a whole lot simpler.

He knew that wasn't the case though. He had a daughter. Living, breathing, and blinking up at him.

His mind was running rampant and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He had so many things to think about, because regardless of the fact that he had absolutely no idea what he was going to do, he had some things he needed to deal with before he could even think about making any life changing decisions. Like whether or not he was going to keep her.

And that decision was one that he really could not make. Not right then, anyway. As much as he wanted it to be an easy thing to decide on, he knew it was going to difficult. Especially when he was sure his heart was going to get involved. How could it not when he was quite literally looking at his flesh and blood and all he wanted to do was make the right decision?

Bickslow was pulled through his mind and pacing when he heard a quiet whimper, and he quickly went back to the table. "No, no, no. Don't do that," he pleaded, leaning forward to reach into the basket. Somewhere in his panicked mind, he thought it would be a good idea to gently nudge the tiny human, his hand flat against the blanket. "Come on, don't do that."

He only grimaced when the whimpering turned into full-blown crying – screaming, even – and Bickslow had to refrain from just running out of his house, jumping on the babies and flying to some place where there was no responsibility of being a temporary guardian – or parent, as it turned out – and no screaming children. He knew he couldn't do that though, because regardless of there actually being a small part of him that wanted to just escape and avoid the huge problem he found himself facing, he just had idea where his babies were.

It wasn't the first time he'd lost them, because quite often, they would sneak out to go and terrorise someone (and it was usually Evergreen). Having grown up with that magic and his immortal troupe of dolls, Bickslow would occasionally tune out to the constant tug he felt on his magic. It was never enough to ever be an issue or cause any problems anyway, so he just let them go off and do their own thing. He could still talk to them, assuming they weren't too far away, so he could find out where they were if he really wished. He wasn't going to do that then, though. First, he had to deal with his daughter. After that, he could call his babies back.

As she began to get louder, her tiny face getting more and more scrunched up and getting even more red as she cried, and once again, Bickslow was finding himself even more confused as to why he felt the way he did. He hated that sound with a passion, because he knew there was something wrong – there was something she needed – and Bickslow didn't know what to do about it. But it felt different somehow. He'd heard babies cry before, and sure, it was a terrible fucking sound, but with the one in front of him, it felt worse. It almost hurt him to see her like that, and Bickslow would be lying if he said he wasn't at all upset in that moment. He didn't know what it was though, because he didn't understand why he felt like he would do anything to comfort her, and why he wanted to just hold her again.

He had to remind himself not to though, and not to dwell on understanding every single new feeling. He could figure everything else out later, because right then, he needed to figure out what to do with the baby.

He tried tucking her in again, and he did his best to smile at her or use soothing shushing sounds, but they didn't work. "Come on, I don't know what you need." Bickslow tried his brain for something to do that would calm her down, and for whatever reason, the only ting he could think of in that moment that wasn't picking her up to rock her or something, was to to touch the tip of his finger to her tiny nose. If anything, he hoped it would distract her for at least a little while.

And it did. Sort of. Because when he did, she quickly stopped crying and just stared up at the face hovering above her own. _Yes! Score!_ "Okay, okay…" Bickslow nodded as he grinned, feeling relief wash over him when his house fell into silence again. "Is this—Oh god, no, come on!" He touched her nose again, hoping that it was working, except the second time it just made her cry again.

So he tried tucking her in again, hoping that the fluffy blanket wrapped around her would soothe her, or at least stop her from squirming in it. And of course, it didn't help. "Why are you crying? Come on, I didn't do anything!" he said, his grin long gone, with his face doing little to hide how stressed he was in that moment. "Are you mad at me because I swore? Is this what this is about? Because I wasn't calling _you_ a mother fucker. If it was anyone in this room, it would technically be me, since I did kinda sleep with whoever your mother i—okay, okay! No more rambling!"

Bickslow had already run out of ideas, and with a sigh, he went back to pacing like he was before. He just didn't even know where to begin when it came to babies. When he heard squealing just outside his house, he stopped and quickly went over to the window that was just by the lounge. He knelt on the cushion as he pushed the curtains back, and peered out through the window to see his neighbour and his two kids out on the path. Bickslow figured that he was probably walking them to school, judging by the time.

It was then that a brilliant idea came to him. And granted, it probably wasn't brilliant at all, but it was brilliant considering the circumstances. He knew the family that lived next to door to him had recently just expanded, having had a baby not terribly long ago. If anyone was going to know what to do with a newborn, it would be them. It wasn't like he was on the best terms with his neighbours, because he had pissed them off a few times over the few years he'd been there with some of the parties himself and his team had thrown when they'd all still lived in the same house. But, he'd grown up a bit since then (meaning he wasn't some annoying nineteen or twenty year-old anymore); he'd become a little more mature. He knew his neighbours didn't really hate him that much.

It was like borrowing a cup of sugar. His neighbours would surely help him. But, you know, he didn't need a cup of sugar; he needed someone to watch his daughter and frankly, get her to shut the hell up while he figured out who could actually help him. He had to go find someone to talk to; someone he could trust.

Bickslow was sure he hadn't gotten dressed so quickly in his entire life after that. He'd quickly run back to where his room was on the first floor in the master suite, and hurriedly pulled on the first set of clothes and shoes he could find, ditching his usual armour for just black jeans and a three-quarter sleeved tee.

By the time he was running out of his living room, basket and baby in hand as he pulled the door closed behind himself, he could see his babies coming from just down the path that led to the street his house was on.

"Where the hell were you guys?" he asked over the crying, ignoring the looks that the odd people on the street were giving him as he quickly went down his own path to head for his neighbour's front gate.

"Ever's!" Pippi replied as they all came into line just next to him.

"There's a baby crying," Puppu commented as it did a quick twirl around Bickslow's head.

"It's loud," Poppo said.

He rolled his eyes as he pushed the gate open and began to walk up the path. "Wow, aren't you guys observant," he muttered. "And yes, I know she's loud, but I don't know how to get her to stop crying." Bickslow looked down to her as he quickly stepped up onto the porch, and he lifted the basket up to hold it in both arms in front of him. "But I'm working on that."

When he reached the door, Pappa quickly hit his wooden body against the door to knock on it, Bickslow's hands otherwise occupied, and then fell into place behind him with the other four and waited with Bickslow for the door to open.

He grinned when he saw the familiar face of his less than pleased neighbour when she opened the door. "Hey," he greeted. "So—"

"Why on earth do you have a baby? And a crying one at that?" the woman asked, an eyebrow raised in surprise before she stepped forward to peek over the edge of the basket.

Bickslow had to commend her for not even flinching when she brought her face so purposely close to what was arguable the noisiest thing – or human, really – on the entire street. His head was already pounding, just from really a few minutes of listening to it. Then again, his neighbour had three kids; she was probably used to crying and screaming.

"That's an interesting story," Bickslow said. "Anyway, Ness, I need you to do me a huuuuuge favour."

She folded her arms before she looked up to Bickslow. "You need to me babysit this kid, right?"

"Please. I uh… I don't know what to do with her at the moment." He paused to hand her the basket when she opened her arms to it with a sigh. "I mean, I don't even know how to get her to stop crying. I just need you to watch her for a little bit while I go and find someone to help me sort this entire thing out."

Ness sighed again as she looked into the basket again, before she looked back up to Bickslow. "Fine, fine," she said. "You'll owe me for this though, Bickslow."

"Yes, I know! Just a couple of hours at most and I'll be back. I just… I kinda need someone who knows how to look after her for a little while until everything is sorted out, and I mean, you've got the kids an—"

"It's fine, I've got her," she interrupted with a roll of her eyes.

Bickslow nodded. "Right, okay. Thank you again, Vanessa. You're a lifesaver right now. I mean it."

"Like I said, it's fine," she said. "Now go and do whatever it is you need to do."

He nodded again when Vanessa took a step back into her house, taking the crying newborn in the basket with her. _"Pappa, stay with her,"_ he silently said to one of his souls, and he watched the tiki doll quickly zoom in through the door Vanessa was closing, and nestle itself in the corner of the basket.

For whatever reason, Bickslow needed to have at least one of his babies with her, and Pappa was the one with the least terrifying face etched on its body. But he could figure out why he wanted to know how his apparent daughter would be faring with his neighbour later, and why he felt constant updates from his oldest non-human companion would help ease his sudden anxiety. He didn't have time to worry about any of that, because right then, he needed to go and find someone that he could talk to about all of it, and hopefully, find someone he could trust to help him make the right decision.

* * *

Bickslow had been wandering Magnolia, completely lost in his thoughts for nearly an hour. It was only when he was near on the opposite side of town to where he lived did he even realise he'd left his visor at home, but it was just one of the rare occasions he didn't care. His could control his magic well enough – his Figure Eyes, more importantly – unlike most people thought, but he still walked with his head slightly down. It had just become a habit over the years, because he knew that most people who did know what he was capable of were not exactly the most inclined to look him in the eyes when he didn't have his visor – but not limited to, since it achieved the same thing as glasses, which he hated wearing – on. Hell, people who knew what he was capable of weren't exactly inclined to come near him without it on.

He didn't blame them though, and he didn't actually care all that much. It was something he'd dealt with his entire life – he could control _living_ _humans_ , and it was because of this his magic was considered a form of Black Magic. The fact he avoided having to use his Figure Eyes unless it was absolutely necessary did absolutely nothing in the way of making people see that Seith magic was fine if it wasn't abused – and it was something he would continue to deal with. He had no reason to care about the vast majority of opinions regarding his magic or him, because he had the guild, and the guild was one of the few places he could go where he knew no one would judge him or fear him.

So as Bickslow wandered the busy streets of Magnolia with the four remaining dolls just above him, he thought about who it was he would go to for help. It was the only thing he could think about at all, because that was kind of his priority: find someone to help him make the right decision who just happens to know about kids and everything. His first thought had been his parents, but that option had quickly been thrown out. There was no way in hell he'd go to them for help with his newfound problem. Never in a million years.

 _"The demon?"_ Puppu asked in his head.

Bickslow considered it for a second as he walked. The babies had been doing their best to help Bickslow decide on the best person to go to, and it wasn't because they were being helpful because they loved Bickslow. No, they were strangely excited about having a 'sister'. Bickslow's head had been a little chaotic as he silently argued with the other four babies – Pappa had only made one single comment the entire time, and that had been to inform Bickslow that his new sister had been hungry, hence the crying – as to why they couldn't see the human baby as their sister. And sure, it was just a little heart-warming to know that they liked the kid already –since they weren't exactly known for being the kindest to most people… But it was mostly Evergreen they irritated the living hell out of by being tiny flying menaces – but Bickslow had to explain that their new human sister could be leaving if the right decision just happened to be putting her up for adoption and giving her to a family and couple that actually wanted a baby.

But Mira… Sure, Mira was great with kids, and she probably knew a whole lot more about babies than anyone he knew, but the demon barmaid from matchmaking hell was also someone who didn't approve of his lifestyle. If she knew he had a kid from one of his more regretful one-night stands, then it would be the nail in his own coffin. Hell, he'd quite literally be putting it there himself – or he might as hell stick it in his eye – and subjecting himself to a life of 'I told you to settle down' and 'If you hadn't slept with a stranger and instead had her with someone you cared about, then you wouldn't be stuck with a baby you don't really want'.

That, and she'd tell Freed, and Freed would tell Evergreen, who would tell Laxus. And then Laxus would probably come and electrocute his balls and make him unable to have any more children (whether he wanted to or not was still to be determined). As that particular thought crossed his mind, he blanched, and had he not been walking, he probably would have shifted uncomfortably. _"Definitely not Mira,"_ he responded. _"Or Freed… Or Ever… Or Laxus, for that matter."_ Bickslow knew he'd be opening himself up to a barrage of judgement from the three, and probably an intervention led by Freed about changing his habits. Of course, it didn't help that the two demons of the guild just happened to share similar ideologies when it came to Bickslow's personal life, and it was almost frustratingly annoying that they were also together.

 _"What about the Connells?"_

That was one Bickslow didn't even need to consider. At all. _"No way. They've already got Asuka anyway. They wouldn't be able to help. They're always busy."_

" _Master?"_ Poppo asked as Bickslow turned down a different street, slowly walking through one of the crowded café strips of Magnolia.

 _"Nope,"_ he said, his thumbnail between his teeth with his free arm wrapping itself around his waist. He could fix his nails later. _"He'd tell Laxus, and it would still come back to me basically being castrated. I'll pass, babies."_

 _"Cana?"_ Pippi suggested, only to earn a snort from the Seith mage.

 _"Like fucking hell. Kids, maybe, but babies, no."_

Pappa's quiet voice suddenly broke the strange silence in his mind when he'd run out of ideas. _"Bickslow… You don't know people who are good with babies…"_

Bickslow frowned. _"I don't, do I?"_ A sigh escaped when he realised that the smiling tiki was right; he really didn't know that many people who would be suitable to talk to about the situation he was in. And sure, there were probably plenty of people in the guild that were actually good with babies, but none of them he really trusted enough to help him with _his_ baby and the decision that goes with it. But speaking of his baby… _"How is she, Pappa?"_ He couldn't stop himself from being curious.

 _"She's asleep at the moment. She's squishy, too."_

The corner of his mouth pulled up into a small smirk as the quiet laughter of his babies filled his mind as he walked into one of the many open cafés in the area and over to the short queue by the counter.

"I'm telling you, when I have kids of my own, I'm going to be completely prepared for anything they think they can throw at me."

Bickslow turned when he heard a slightly familiar voice travel over the bustle inside the café, and his brow furrowed when he tried to pinpoint exactly where the chorus of giggling women was coming from.

"Oh, come on, Lucy," another familiar voice said, with Bickslow turning his head in the direction he was sure it was coming from. "Natsu and Gray aren't that bad."

His eyes went wide when he saw the group in question sitting at one of the tables in the outdoor seating area only a few tables away from where the counter was, and he quickly looked back to the person in the queue in front of him when he saw just who was there.

"No," Lucy insisted. "They're worse. Even Asuka is easier to babysit than those two morons!"

"Maybe you should get one of those two morons to help you babysit next time, if you get what I mean," Mira giggled. "You know, give them a hint or something…"

"Mira! You know that's not how things are!" Lucy shrieked, and a quick glance to the side again had Bickslow seeing just how red her face had gotten, and he couldn't help but chuckle quietly to himself.

"If you say so, Lu," Levy said with a heavy sigh before Bickslow heard the scrape of a chair on the pavement as he moved forward. "Anyway, I promised I'd help Freed with deciphering something for a job the Raijinshuu are taking, so I'll see you around."

 _Fuck. I forgot about that._ And just as he remembered the job he was supposed to be leaving for with his team in just a few hours, he found himself wondering if he'd even remembered to turn off the damn stove in his house. The baby being delivered on his doorstep had kinda screwed up his head, not to mention his morning.

"I have to leave too, actually," Mira said with another scrape of a chair. "I'm glad we got to do this, though. We rarely get a chance to do things like this. Maybe next time we'll get some more people to join us?"

"Yeah, maybe," Lucy replied, and once again, Bickslow found himself glancing over to her table to see her beginning to fiddle with her bag. "I'll see you guys later."

Bickslow made himself as inconspicuous as possible, given he was watching them, as Levy and Mira quickly disappeared into the people that walked the bustling streets, and he took another step forward when he saw the queue moving in his peripherals.

 _"Cosplayer probably knows more about babies than you do…"_ Pippi chimed in.

 _"I know…"_ Bickslow replied.

 _"And she's a nice person…"_ Puppu added.

 _"And you trust her…"_ Poppo said.

 _"I know, babies."_ Bickslow knew exactly what they were saying, too. The blonde at the table just a few feet away seemed like an almost perfect match to the person he needed to talk to about everything.

She'd babysat Asuka before – and apparently Gray and Natsu – so she was at least good with children. She seemed smart enough to know how to look after a baby – or at least a whole lot better than Bickslow would, because he couldn't even figure out that his own daughter was hungry – and she genuinely was a nice person that Bickslow could probably trust. She was too nice, actually, and it was that thought that had Bickslow quickly leaving the queue to get his much needed coffee fix and sitting down in the chair just opposite her when she began to get up.

"Oh, hi, Bickslow," Lucy said with a bright smile. "I didn't know you were here."

He nervously drummed his fingers on the glass tabletop as he kept his eyes down. "Hey, look, I um…" he mumbled. "Can I talk to you about something?"

She sat down when her brows rose in surprise, and she placed her small bag back down on the table next to her empty cup. "Of course. What about?" she asked. She could see the Seith mage was troubled about something, and she didn't think she'd be a very good friend if she couldn't at least listen to him.

 _"Where do I even start, babies?"_ he asked, briefly glancing down to the four dolls as they settled down on his lap. Could he really just straight up say, 'I need your help with a baby who is apparently mine and I need you to help me decide what to do with her'? He didn't think so. He knew that was just bound to cause more problems.

But… He also didn't know where to begin, because if he asked the wrong questions – like whether or not Lucy knew anything about babies or kids in general, for example – then it could really just make her suspicious. He didn't need that either, because there was something telling him that Lucy was someone who really would be able to help him with his problem. He didn't want to make things worse for himself by making her suspicious.

She was smart, kind, obviously knew a decent amount of information when it came to children, and Bickslow thought she'd be able to help him make a certain life changing decision. The blonde in front of him was the perfect person for all of that in his eyes.

 _"Maybe you could show her?"_ Pappa's little voice was heard.

 _"That's actually not a bad idea,"_ Bickslow replied. He just had to find a way to get her to his house without explaining things. _Fuck, this day just gets worse and worse._

He looked up then to see Lucy looking at him, hints of concern in her walnut eyes, and his own brow furrowed. "Are you busy at the moment?" he asked.

"Not at all," Lucy said.

Bickslow nodded as he slowly stood, the babies floating up to hover above his head again. "Okay, good…" he mumbled. "So I kind of need your help with something, and I mean, you're totally justified to say no, but I need to show you it… I can't really explain it… Not here, anyway."

Lucy blinked as she looked up before she stood up, swinging her bag over her shoulder and pushing her chair in slightly. _What's the worst that could happen?_ "Alright." Lucy smiled up at Bickslow before she slowly began to follow him out of the café. "Where was… whatever it is you need to show me?" she asked.

"Um… At my house, actually." Bickslow folded his arms across his chest as he slowed his pace, inwardly cursing the blonde for being so short and himself for being so tall. "But, before you like, completely agree or even come with me, I need to ask that you don't tell anyone about what it is."

"I'm not going to become an accomplice to a crime or anything, am I?"

"No, no. Fuck, definitely not," Bickslow muttered, turning to lead Lucy down a quiet side street. "Nothing like that."

"Nothing illegal of any sort?"

Bickslow rolled his eyes. "Why you gotta assume the worst?" he grumbled before he came to a stop on the sidewalk, then turned to look down to the blonde. "Now… How do you feel about heights?"

She raised an eyebrow in confusion and looked to the Seith mage, her own arms folded just under her bust. "Why do you ask that?"

"Because it's going to be a hell of a lot easier to get across town by flying." He paused to rub the back of his neck sheepishly before he nodded upwards, gesturing to the floating tiki dolls. "You know, on the babies." Sure, they could walk, but he really didn't want to. The sooner he got back home, the better, and with the babies, they could be there in just a matter of minutes.

But of course, there was the issue of whether or not Lucy would be okay with that, and he really wasn't sure if she would be.

"Come fly with us, Cosplayer!" the dolls chirped as they bobbed up and down.

She sighed when she looked up to them, before dropping her arms back to her sides. _Oh, to hell with it. You let a damn cat carry you; you might as well let a human do so._ "Are you going to drop me?" she asked cautiously. She'd been dropped by Happy, and granted, it had been in the ocean, but she was sure she wouldn't come out so unscathed if Bickslow were to drop her, especially over Magnolia.

"No," he said, though he couldn't help but let his eyes wander up and down her form, taking in the tight shirt that clung to every single curve she had, from her bust to the flare of her hips, and to the short skirt that would probably give him a great view of her ass. He'd tap that, sure, but drop that? Not a chance.

"Hey, quit that," Lucy mumbled when she folded her arms again, and she could feel the heat on her cheeks as she turned away slightly. She wasn't entirely so sure how she felt about Bickslow so obviously checking her out.

He shook his head. "Sorry," he mumbled. He had to tune out the chipper laughter from the babies in his head and their ridiculing over being caught. Not like it was the first time, though. It was just a hell of a lot harder without the visor.

"It's okay…" Lucy sighed before unfolding her arms again. "Now, how do you want to do this? I mean… Since there's obviously not enough room for me to stand too…"

Bickslow rubbed the back of his neck again before he quickly stepped forward to be standing next to her. "This should work." He leant down slightly, only bending his knees enough to get one arm behind her legs and the other around her back, and he scooped her up into his arms with a slight groan, letting her sit unsteadily in his arms for a moment. "Damn, Cosplayer. Where the hell are you keeping all of that? Your tits?"

Lucy blushed furiously as she slapped his chest and turned her head away, missing the tongue-lolling grin from him as he stepped onto the four remaining babies. It was bad enough he was commenting on her weight, which as something she'd always been a little self conscious about, but he just had to make a crude joke out of it too.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. You're fine," he said. She was actually pretty light, not that he would complain if she wasn't. He was just messing with her because he could. He liked seeing her blush far too much.

* * *

Lucy sighed as she sat with her chin resting in her palm, her free hand anxiously drumming her knee. When Bickslow had said he needed to show her something at his house, she'd never expected to be told to sit and wait. Sure, it had really only been a minute or two of sitting in the surprisingly nice house in the living space with the beige walls and the nice furniture – because as she waited, she'd had a little bit of time to look around the room to take note of her surroundings. Lucy would be lying if she said the lived-in space completely suited Bickslow. Or so she thought, anyway – but still, she didn't like that she had to wait.

Luckily, though, Bickslow was coming back through his front door with a large basket in his arms before Lucy had a chance to snoop and notice the fact that a birth certificate was sitting on his dining table not too far from where she sat.

"Okay, so… Please, please don't like, totally freak out. Or you can, just… quietly," Bickslow mumbled as he quickly walked around to where Lucy was sitting on the corner-sofa.

 _"Cosplayer is going to freak out,"_ the babies all chanted in his head.

 _"Oh, I know, babies. I know."_

When Bickslow gently placed the basket with the sleeping newborn, all wrapped up in her yellow blanket, down on the coffee table in front of Lucy, her eyes went wide and she sat forward on the lounge. "Why on Earthland do you have a baby?" she hissed, suddenly getting to her feet to follow Bickslow over to the dining table.

 _Damn, she's intimidating. Small, but intimidating._ He shrugged when he rifled through the papers on the table to pick up the unfinished birth certificate, then turned back to face the blonde. If it was any other time, he probably would have made some sort of joke about how he thought she actually looked pretty cute when she looked so shocked and confused, but he knew he couldn't. He needed her help, and pissing her off was not a good way to get that.

"Because apparently she's mine," he mumbled, his eyes trained on his hands while handing her the page.

"Y-Yours? As in… As in you have a _daughter?_ " Lucy looked between Bickslow, the page in her hands with barely enough information for any of it to make sense, and the sleeping baby on the coffee table just behind her.

He rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly as he walked around the blonde to sit down on one of the cushions on the sofa, and stare at his apparent daughter. "Yup. Apparently."

Her brow became furrowed as she read over the birth certificate again and again. She sighed quietly before looking down to the other pieces of paper on the table to pick them up and quickly skim over them. Lucy knew she couldn't freak out. She couldn't really be mad, nor could she yell. As strange as it was to see Bickslow with a baby it wasn't her place to be mad; he asked for her help and she was going to give it to him. She had to stay calm, and because it would be easier to make sense of everything if she was calm. She could put everything into a logical order to figure out how Bickslow had a baby in a first place, and more importantly, why he had come to her of all people for help.

Plus, she knew she wasn't going to be of any help at all if she was too busy freaking out.

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked quietly as she went to sit down next to Bickslow once he'd gone over to the lounge. "I mean… How can you even be sure she's yours?" Just from the information on the birth certificate and what she'd read of the short letter, there really was no evidence that she was actually Bickslow's daughter. It didn't really help that she knew the mother, and she wasn't exactly the most honest of people. From that alone, Lucy was doubting whether Bickslow was the actual father.

"Because she has red eyes."

"Okay… But lots of people have red eyes. That doesn't really definitively prove anything."

"It does," Bickslow said softly as he lifted his head from his hands. "Because she has _my_ eyes. And unless her mother fucked my brother, which is even less likely than her being my actual daughter, then she's actually mine."

Lucy placed the papers down on the coffee table next to the basket and her mouth twisted into a tight line. _If Bickslow is sure she's his, then I'll have to believe him,_ she thought. "Alright then. But where do I fit in with all of this?" she asked quietly.

He dropped his head again and clasped his hands behind his head, his fingers lacing together through his hair. "Because I have no fucking idea what to do, and… And I need someone to help me figure that out." Bickslow wouldn't be above saying he actually needed Lucy if it came down to it, because he really was convinced she was the only person who would be able to help him, and it was something he didn't quite understand. "But I know it's actually a lot to ask, so if you don't want to get involved then I wouldn't blame you or anything," he mumbled.

"I'll help," Lucy said quickly, almost without thinking. She smiled reassuringly when Bickslow turned his head to look at her, and the mix of relief and shock in the eyes that were apparently the same as the newborn in front of them had Lucy deciding she really would help, no matter what it meant.

They were nakama, and that meant they looked out for each other and helped with anything they needed help with. Although Lucy didn't quite know how she was going to be of help, she would try and do her best. She had to, because Bickslow was her friend, and that's just how Fairy Tail worked.

"I mean, you'll have to give me a bit of an idea as to what it is you need me to do, but I'll help you as best I can," she said.

Bickslow couldn't help but quickly wrap his arms around her shoulders to rest his chin on her shoulder. "Are you sure? I mean… I don't even really know myself what I need you to help me with." And he didn't. He knew the things he needed to decide, but as much as he wanted someone to make that decision for him, Bickslow knew it was only one he could make.

Still, though, Lucy could help get him to a point where he could make that decision. Maybe. He hoped so.

"I'm sure," she laughed.

Bickslow sighed in relief and nodded slightly. "Thank you. Like, seriously. Thank you." He sat back again and ran his hands through his hair, and glanced down to his daughter who was still sleeping with Pappa resting in the corner of the basket, before turning back to Lucy with a sheepish grin. "Now… How much do you know about babies?" he asked.

Lucy laughed again. "I'm going to guess I know a little bit more about them than you do, judging by how you're acting right now."

"Wouldn't be hard, considering I know nothing. At all."

"Well, luckily for you, I'm not completely terrible when it comes to kids." She shifted forward on the lounge, and she reached forward to gently get her hands under the newborn and lift her into her arms before sitting back and pulling her in against her chest, with her hand under the baby's head. "So… How exactly did you end up with a baby?" she asked quietly.

"She got dropped off at my front door, like, an hour ago. The um, the letter and the birth certificate and all that were tucked in the side of the basket." His eyes were transfixed on the blonde smiling down at the newborn who was his daughter, and no matter what, he couldn't look anywhere else. It was strangely… cute. "Other than that, well… Accidents happen, I suppose," he chuckled.

"So you didn't know about her until this morning?"

"Not a clue."

Lucy sighed as she fiddled with the blanket. "Well, it's nice to see karma bite her in the ass," she mumbled, only before turning back to Bickslow as a blush crept up onto her cheeks, and quickly said, "I mean, just because she obviously cheated and all. Sucks you got her knocked up, but… Yeah…" _Oh god, Lucy. Shut up. For once in your life, be quiet._

His brow arched in amusement as his lips pulled up into a smirk. "Oh? You know my baby mama?" Suddenly Bickslow was a lot happier that Lucy was sticking around to help, especially if it meant finding out some juicy tales, because she obviously didn't exactly have a friendly relationship with the woman whose name he still hadn't paid attention to.

"It's not that important. Or really relevant," Lucy insisted, a faint blush colouring her cheeks and the tips of her ears.

"Oh, come on. Tell me, Cosplayer," he grinned. "You gotta tell me how you know her, considering I still don't even know her name."

Lucy closed her eyes as she fought the urge to scold Bickslow for not even getting the woman's name before he slept with her. Or even paying attention to it on the birth certificate. She knew it wasn't her place to judge, so she wasn't going to. Lucy sighed as she opened her eyes again, only to turn to see the Seith mage smirking at her, and she looked back to his daughter in her arms. "Okay, so, a while ago, I went to this club with Cana, and uh… I guess I needed to relax more than I'd originally thought, since I ended up drinking way too much…"

"Oh, I'm liking where this is going."

"Shut up," she grumbled. "Anyway, I kind of ended up spending the night with this guy—"

Bickslow let out a howl of laughter that had the newborn shifting slightly. "Never thought you were that type of girl, Cosplayer." Getting blind drunk and sleeping with strangers was his thing – and most people knew it – but to know that Lucy did it? Well, that was a piece of information he found highly valuable.

"I'm not." And she wasn't. Sure, she wasn't exactly as innocent as everyone thought she was, but she wasn't the type to sleep with strangers on a regular basis. It was a rare occurrence, if anything, but she really wasn't going to go into detail about her sex life (or, lack thereof, for the most part) with Bickslow of all people. She would be opening herself up to teasing that she knew she wouldn't be able to just shake her head at and ignore. "But anyway, I went about my life as normal. Like I usually do, because I mean…" She paused to clear her throat, then mumbled, "It's not like it was the first time it happened."

"Ah, so you're not as much of a man-whore as I am," he chuckled, only to instantly wish he hadn't said it at all. "I mean, not that you're a man. Or a whore."

 _"Good job, Bickslow,"_ the babies giggled in his head.

 _"Shut up,"_ he silently grumbled.

Lucy sighed again, shaking her head at him. "Anyway. A week later, this girl shows up at my apartment. Turns out she's the fiancée of the guy I slept with, so, you know, she starts having a go at me and all that. It wasn't like I knew he had a girlfriend, and if I had known, I wouldn't have done it, even though I was like, completely drunk."

"I'm guessing this girl is her mother?" Bickslow asked, nodding his head to the newborn.

"Yeah, she is," Lucy said. "But it was only when she called me a home-wrecker did I start to feel really guilty, considering she said she was pregnant. With her fiancé's child, of course."

Bickslow's brow furrowed slightly. "Wait, when was this?"

"About seven months ago. Something like that."

"Right… So I'm going to assume she was just being a hypocritical bitch? I mean, if I knocked her up _nine_ months ago, and she was engaged _seven_ months ago…"

"Pretty much," Lucy sighed. "I kinda feel bad for not being sorry anymore though. I mean, if the baby was yours the entire time… Well, I don't really feel guilty for breaking them up now."

Bickslow laughed again, though he regretted doing it so loud when his daughter shifted again. He didn't want to be disturbing her, especially when he was still recovering from his headache from the last time she cried. "They broke up?"

"A couple of months ago, actually," Lucy giggled before she looked back down to the baby, and remained silent until she was sure she was still asleep. "But… With her… Do you um… Do you know if you're going to keep her?" she asked, changing the subject. That was the important question, really.

"I… I don't know," he sighed.

Lucy frowned before she sat forward on the lounge again. "Here," she said quietly, gently moving her arms to hold her out to Bickslow. "You're the one that should be holding her, not me."

His eyes went wide and he tried his best to sink back into the lounge. "N-No… I… I haven't… I've never…" Bickslow stammered. He was still scared of holding her, but he also still wanted to hold her. He wanted to feel her in his arms, but he couldn't help but think holding her would help him make a certain decision.

And whether it was a wise one or not was still something to be determined.

"You've haven't held your daughter?" she asked, her own eyes wide in shock when he shook his head. "Have you held a baby at all?"

"No…"

Lucy sighed. "Bickslow, hold your daughter." And before Bickslow could try and slink further away, she gently pushed the newborn into his arms so he really had no choice but to hold her. Lucy smiled softly at the panicked look in his eyes before she looked back down to gently move his hands to the right positions. "See? Is this so bad?" she asked, sitting back down on the edge of the lounge.

Bickslow was suddenly finding himself unable to even find a single word – or even make a single noise – to respond, and slowly, he sank back into the lounge to get comfortable. He stared down at her in amazement, almost, and the longer he sat there, the less doubts he had about her actually being his. It was almost as if just holding her in his arms made him wholeheartedly see that she was his; he had a daughter. A living, breathing, tiny, adorable daughter. And she was in his arms.

And suddenly, Bickslow didn't entirely know if it was because he felt a connection to her, just because she was his daughter and he had her so close, but his mind was leaning a lot more towards one particular decision. And that decision scared him, but it was one he still wasn't ready to make. Not just yet, anyway.

And Lucy could see the change in Bickslow the longer he sat there. She saw the way he relaxed and how everything softened, and it really did make her smile.

She could, however, also see what she needed to do to help Bickslow, and it was because she was his friend that she would do that.

"How about you give it a little while to decide what you want to do with her?" she said softly. "You know, just see how things go. And I'll help you with her until you've figured it all out. How does that sound?"

And to that, Bickslow could only nod, still unable to draw his eyes away.

* * *

Bickslow looked down at the newborn in his arms through tired eyes. He was on the verge of actually being exhausted, but no matter how tired he was, he couldn't sleep. He couldn't even have fallen asleep if he'd tried. And even then, it would only be for a couple of hours at most before he had to get back up and feed his daughter. Which, was something he wouldn't know how to do on his own at all, if it weren't for Lucy, or his neighbour coming over to drop off a few things he'd need to be able to look after her.

Carefully and slowly, Bickslow shifted on the lounge to bring his legs up onto the cushions to cross his ankles in front of him. He glanced down to the blonde who was curled up on the other half of the corner lounge, the pillow her head was resting on brushing up against his thigh, and sighed quietly before tipping his head back to rest against the top of the backrest.

He hadn't completely expected Lucy to stay. Not for the entire night, anyway, but he was glad that she was there, even if she had fallen asleep in the peace and quiet that had followed his daughter's brief bout of screaming. She was staying because he had no idea how to look after his own daughter, but he really wanted to learn. He wanted to learn because there was a part of him that didn't want to let go of her.

It was strange, and terrifying. It was a million things at once, really. But he just wanted to keep his daughter in his arms. He wanted to keep her safe and hold onto her just to keep her close. And that was the terrifying part. It completely terrified Bickslow that he found himself no longer willing to let go of her, and he knew that he was going to have to if he ended up letting another couple or family adopt her.

But he didn't want to do that. It was barely even four o'clock in the morning; not even twenty-four hours since Bickslow had known he had a daughter, but he was almost glad she existed. And sure, his first reaction had been straight out denial. And then a bit of shock, and then some more denial. But now? Now Bickslow was just scared, but he was strangely happy. It didn't matter that not even twenty-four hours earlier, he hadn't wanted a kid and he wanted nothing more than to just run away and forget about the idea of even having a kid. Because now, he wanted to stay. He'd held her in his arms and he didn't want to let go.

He almost couldn't believe that he was even thinking about it though, because he was almost sure it was the worst idea he'd ever had. Just because he actually wanted to keep her. And Bickslow knew it was going to be an incredibly difficult path to take, but there was a part of him that said it would be worth it.

Somewhere deep down, Bickslow knew that it wouldn't really be the worst decision he could possibly make, and the responsibility he knew he was afraid of didn't seem all that terrifying. He wanted to take that responsibility on. He wanted to be responsible for his daughter, regardless of her really being an accident.

And Bickslow knew the exact moment everything had changed; the exact second he began to wonder if he could actually pull it all off and be a father to his own daughter. As soon as he'd held her – as soon as Lucy had forced him to hold his daughter – in his arms, it had all changed.

"Oh, what am I going to do with you?" he mumbled quietly as he slid down. He slowly brought his knees up, doing his best to not move the pillow that Lucy was resting on, and gently lowered his daughter to rest on his legs so his hands could lightly come to surround her small head. "I'd literally be like the worst father. I mean, I'm probably better off letting someone else have you. Wouldn't want to screw up your life, not when you're so small and all."

"You wouldn't be the worst father."

His eyes went wide and a warm heat filled his cheeks when he heard Lucy's sleep-ridden voice and her shifting beside him to sit up. "Sorry… I didn't mean to wake you up," Bickslow mumbled again before he turned his attention back to his daughter with a soft frown. "And I would be. I mean, I don't even know the first thing about babies. It's just a disaster waiting to happen if I keep her." And that's what had Bickslow so worried about the possibility of whether or not he could actually do it.

The last thing he wanted to do was screw up his daughter's life before it had even begun. Hell, he didn't want to screw up any kid's life before it had even begun, but because it was about his daughter did it make it that much more important to Bickslow. It was because she was his daughter that Bickslow wanted her to get the best chance at life, and it was just another one of the things that made Bickslow worry. He already knew he cared too much about her, but he also knew that he was going to have to put that aside, just because it could be in his daughter's best interest.

He wanted her to grow up happy and in a family. It wasn't an issue that she'd grow up loved, because Bickslow was sure that he already did love her, but he wasn't so sure he could give her the happy life she deserved. He couldn't give her a family, not an actual one, anyway. He was sure there was a family out there that could bring her up in a loving environment. Keep her safe, and more importantly, give her happiness.

And Bickslow almost wished he could give her everything he thought she deserved, but he couldn't get that one thought out of the back of his head that reminded him that he couldn't be a father. He couldn't be a father whether he wanted to or not, because he wasn't that type of person.

There was no way he could be solely responsible for someone. Especially when he wasn't ready to be, and right then, he wasn't. Maybe if it had been a few years down the track, things would be different. But for now he wasn't ready to be an actual father, no matter how much he wanted to be.

He sighed again when his thumbs lightly brushed against her soft cheeks, and his mouth twisted into a frown as her own pulled into a soft smile for just a moment.

"Have you gotten any sleep yet?" Lucy asked softly as she focused her eyes on Bickslow. She could see what was going through his head, even if he'd mostly been silent about what he wanted to do with his daughter.

She had been watching him all day and all night, because she was worried about him. She knew he was scared and confused, but she was doing her best to make things just that little bit easier for Bickslow. It was why she'd stayed as long as she did, because she knew he needed her help. She'd stayed to teach him the basics of looking after a baby – from the feeding, and changing, to the way to hold her – and she'd stayed to take care of her when Bickslow had needed to go and give an excuse to his team to sit that job out. More importantly, she'd stayed to be the friend that he'd needed.

It didn't matter that Bickslow had mostly remained silent and avoided discussing whether or not he did want to keep his daughter or not, because Lucy could see it. She could see that he was considering keeping her and not giving her up, but she also knew it wasn't really a decision she could help him with. She could ease his worries and do her best to help him see that whatever decision he makes would be the right one, but until that time came, she couldn't do much. It was up to Bickslow what he wanted to do, because it was his daughter and his life and he solely had to decide if he wanted it to change.

It also didn't matter what Lucy thought Bickslow should do, or hoped he would do, because she couldn't influence or guide him in any way. It was just a matter of being there for a friend when he needed her, and that meant easing his worries and concern, and helping him when he needed her help.

But, helping Bickslow also meant making sure he was in the right mind to make a life-changing decision, and when he as running on empty, he was not going to be able to make that choice.

When he shook his head, keeping his eyes on his daughter, Lucy sighed quietly before gently reaching forward to wrap her hands around the newborn's middle and lift her up and out of Bickslow's hands. "You need to get some sleep, Bickslow," Lucy said softly.

"But… What about her?" he mumbled, watching as Lucy gently lowered her into the basket on the coffee table. "I mean, she'll probably have to be—"

"She's asleep right now," Lucy said as she sat back down next to Bickslow. "And when she needs to be fed in a little while, I will deal with it. I told you I would help you, remember?" She tried to smile reassuringly then, only for Bickslow to turn his eyes back to his daughter as he sat up, and pull his bottom lip between his teeth. "You know… If you do decide to keep her, then you're not going to be able to do it by staying awake all night all the time," she said slowly.

Lucy knew it was something she shouldn't have mentioned – not really, anyway – but it was only just a reminder. Giving Bickslow the facts he'd need to make a decision was something she could do. Assuming she kept her own opinions and hopes out of it. It was just a simple fact. A well known fact, really, and Bickslow needed to know that.

Bickslow knew she was right; he did need his sleep, even if it would just be for a couple of hours, and that was assuming he could fall asleep at all. He truly did know that she really was helping him, whether it be teaching him how to look after a baby if he went that way, or remind him of the things he knew and also needed to know. And he was truly grateful for that.

No matter what his decision was, Bickslow knew he was going to need to find a way to thank Lucy properly. But he also knew that he wasn't going to be able to do that at four o'clock in the morning when he really was exhausted.

"Alright, alright…" Bickslow sighed as he slowly pushed himself up to stand, and he pushed his hand through his hair. "My room's at the end of the hall, next to the bathroom. I'd say wake me if you need me, but I doubt you would," he slurred, suddenly feeling the sleep catch up to him again. "Thanks, Lucy." Just two words he was sure he was going to be saying a lot more.

* * *

He stared at the pamphlet in front of him as he sat at his dining table. The unfinished birth certificate and the charming letter from the mother both sat in front of the pamphlet, but he wasn't paying attention to them. He could only focus on the pamphlet with the bland cover with the daunting tile of _Considering Putting Your Child Up for Adoption_. It had come in the basket with his daughter and the rest of the papers, but he hadn't even thought about reading it. Not until that moment, anyway.

Bickslow couldn't even bring himself to open it though. He'd sat there for god knows how long just staring at the cover it, because he didn't _want_ to open it.

It wasn't even nine o'clock in the goddamn morning, still barely even twenty-hours since his daughter had arrived on his doorstep, and he'd made up his mind. And it really fucking terrified him. Bickslow had never expected it to be a decision that would be made quickly and easily, but that's almost what had happened.

Bickslow knew that he'd made up his mind as soon as he'd held her. As soon as he'd held her in his arms, he'd known deep down that he could only go about it one way. Bickslow couldn't give her up; he couldn't give his _daughter_ up.

"I can't." He suddenly shot up from his chair as the legs slid along the hardwood floor, and his hand flew to his mouth. If anything, it was to stop him from wanting to cry out in frustration. Because that's what he wanted to do. He wanted to scream and shout out his frustration at the jumbled nerves and emotions that had been rolling around in his head.

He was so frustrated that he wanted to completely turn his life upside down and that he'd been able to make that decision so quickly. He was completely willing to take on something huge when he barely knew how to even do it. He was willing and wanting to become a father when he had absolutely no fucking idea how to be. How in the world was none of that frustrating?

Bickslow hadn't wanted a kid then, and definitely not like that. He really wasn't that opposed to having kids eventually, but with the right person. It was never supposed to be with someone whose name he couldn't remember, and it was never supposed to be an accident.

But even though his daughter was the epitome of an accident, he didn't care. He was almost glad she existed. He was glad that he got to meet his daughter, and as terrified as he was about doing what he wanted to do, he was pretty damn excited about it. Because after all, it was his daughter. His living, breathing, tiny, adorable daughter.

And as Lucy came back down the hall, her arms raised as she tied her hair up into a messy bun, she saw Bickslow sit down on the lounge and rest his elbows on his knees to look into the basket. His eyes were wide, his pulse was racing, and the fear was beginning to set in again.

"Oh fuck. I can't do this," he muttered again.

"Yes you can, Bickslow," Pappa whispered.

"You'll be fine," the other four agreed as they hovered around him.

But really, could he do it? He had to, because that's what he wanted to do. If he wanted to keep his daughter, then he'd have to find a way to do it all.

"What can't you do?" Lucy asked. Her brow became furrowed when she could see the panicked looked on his face, and from that alone Lucy knew that he'd made up his mind. The only problem was that she didn't know what he'd decided, and she was suddenly feeling anxious over it. She felt a cold hand wrap around her heart and Lucy had to bite down on her emotions as her chest tightened.

He could feel her soft eyes boring into the side of his skull too, but he ignored it. Instead, he only reached forward to gently pick the newborn up, his hands wrapping around her before pulling her into his arms so he could look down at her with a soft smile. "I can't give her up," he whispered.

Hearing those words, Lucy almost felt so relieved she could cry, as the tightness in her chest evaporated with his words. She wasn't entirely why so she felt so strongly about it. She knew that she'd hoped Bickslow would decide to keep his daughter rather than let her go to another family, but she didn't think she'd be that glad to know that Bickslow couldn't do the latter.

But, she knew it was something she couldn't question. She couldn't question the way she felt about it because it wasn't about her; it was about Bickslow and his daughter.

"Then don't," she said quietly, and with a soft smile, she leant to the side to gently rest her head on Bickslow's shoulder to follow his gaze.

Bickslow didn't mind the contact though. "Tell me I'm not making a mistake," he said, his voice was barely above a whisper. That was what he needed Lucy for then. He needed her to tell him whether he was making a huge mistake and that he couldn't actually do it. And sure, it would hurt like hell if that was really the case, but he wanted to believe Lucy would be right, because she was always right.

Just once, Bickslow needed her to be brutally honest and tell him to do what was probably a whole lot better for his daughter, because without it, he really wouldn't be able to let her go.

Lucy wasn't going to do that though. She didn't need to do that. "It's only going to be a mistake if you let it be one," she said instead. She was there to be Bickslow's friend, and she was there to reassure him and ease his worries. She wasn't there to force Bickslow into doing something he didn't want to do, because she could see that he really wanted to keep his daughter.

But she could also see that he desperately wanted to believe he wouldn't be ruining her life. Lucy knew he wouldn't be doing that though, and she needed Bickslow to see that. If anything, she needed him to believe in himself, because that was what he needed. He needed to believe in himself like she believed in him.

Bickslow was quickly realising that's what she was doing too, and hell, was he a whole lot more grateful for Lucy being there in that moment. She had her head on straight when he didn't, and she was bringing him back down to earth when he'd needed. And in such a relatively short time, she'd done that a lot, and with just a few words each time. She'd known exactly what to say to make him see things clearly or to put things into perspective when he couldn't, and he'd needed that.

He'd needed Lucy, and without a doubt, he was going to continue to need Lucy. If he wanted to keep his daughter and give her the life that he wanted her to have, then he was going to need a lot of help. He wouldn't be able to do it alone.

"I'm going to screw this up. Royally," Bickslow said. It was guaranteed, really. Him, being a father when he knew nothing about kids.

"Do you think new parents don't screw up at all?" she laughed quietly. "Just because most people plan to have kids, it doesn't mean they're totally prepared for what comes with it. You can screw up, and you can make mistakes. Every parent does at some point, but that's okay. Mistakes are what make us human, but we learn from those mistakes."

Bickslow rolled his eyes. "I was kinda hoping you'd say that I wasn't going to screw up, to be honest," he mumbled.

"Bickslow, I'm sorry, but you're going to screw up. And you're going to do so big time," Lucy laughed again before tilting her head back on his shoulder to look up to him to see his smirk as he glanced to her from the corner of his eyes. "But it's a learning curve. You're not going to become the best parent overnight. You know that."

"I suppose." And he had to admit that she really did have a point. He wasn't going to pick it all up instantly, and he sure as hell wasn't going to be able to figure out something as huge and daunting as being a parent without making a few – or a lot of – mistakes along the way. "But… You know I'm not going to be able to do this on my own…" he mumbled.

And he meant it. He was going to need a fuck load of help with raising his daughter. Whether it be to help him actually look after her and teach him how to be a parent, or to keep him grounded and give him the reminders and reassurance he'd constantly need. He would need all of that constantly because he was not going to be able to be a single parent. Not without at least a little help, anyway.

"And you're not going to be on your own," Lucy said. "You'll have me, and you'll have the guild."

Bickslow's head suddenly shot up. "Oh shit. My team is going to kill me." _Ever's going to murder me… Freed is going to murder me… Laxus is going to murder me… Fuck. They're all going to murder me and think I'm absolutely insane._

"You still have a few days until they get back though, right?"

"Two weeks, actually."

Lucy lifted her head from his shoulder and slowly pushed herself up to stand. "Okay, so you've got two weeks to get everything sorted out then." She quickly went over to the dining table to pick up up the birth certificate, before picking up a book from a shelf and a pen from a desk, and then sit back down on the edge of the lounge. "You'd want to get it all done as quickly as possible, right? You'll still need to think of a name for her, and finish the rest of this. Plus, you'll need to register her birth at the courthouse, and I'm assuming her mother didn't do that since she doesn't have a name," she said.

"Right… She has to have a name…" he mumbled.

"Do you have any ideas for one?"

Bickslow shook his head. "Nope." He had absolutely no ideas when it came to a name for her. Well, only one idea, but he knew it was a terrible one. "Not unless Scout is a name. I'm not entirely sure why that's stuck in my head right now though."

"You are not naming your daughter Scout," she scoffed. "But how about we leave the naming part to last? You know, you can think on it considering she'll be stuck with it for the rest of her life."

Bickslow could only sigh before he looked back down to the newborn squirming slightly in his arms, only to see her slowly open her eyes. As he thought about it, he realised Lucy was right. Again. Her name was almost the easiest part about it all. Compared to the mountains of paperwork he was sure he had to fill out, thinking of a name really was easy.

Plus, the entire 'becoming a father' thing. Bickslow was still sure that was probably going to be the hardest thing he's ever done, but he was still willing to do that. Because it was for his daughter.

"So how about I get her fed since she's probably getting a little hungry again by now, and you start by getting the rest of your details on her birth certificate?" Lucy said cheerily as she placed the book and page on the coffee table, only to stand once again before gently taking the newborn from Bickslow's arms.

As Lucy quickly went over to his kitchen, Bickslow shifted on the lounge to cross his legs under himself, and reached to pick up everything on the coffee table before balancing them on one leg. Everything on the birth certificate was filled out, except for the box with all of his details. His full name, date of birth, occupation, birth place; all of it was blank.

Turning the pen around in his hand, Bickslow quickly began to fill in the rest of the boxes, starting with his surname. As he finished writing his place of birth and began to tap the pen on the page, Lucy gently sat back down on the lounge next to him, carefully holding his daughter in one arm and the small bottle in her other hand.

"Can you um… Can you make sure it looks right?" he mumbled as he lifted the page up, turning it so she could look over it from where she sat. The last thing he needed was to screw up a document like that.

Lucy slowly read down the page, starting the blank boxes where his daughter's name would eventually go, her date and place of birth, going down to her mother's details, and then down to the information that Bickslow had completed. But then she stopped when she saw his last name. She didn't care about his birthday or his occupation or where he was born, because all she could focus on was his actual name, and her brow furrowed slightly before she glanced back up.

"Is that really your last name?" Lucy whispered, completely bewildered.

"Unfortunately," he sighed. He fought the urge to roll his eyes at her reaction, just like he did every time someone found out his heritage. There was a very good reason to him keeping his last name from people, as well as anything about his life really, and that was because of who his family was.

Her eyes were wide as she pieced together the information in her head. "As in… As in _the_ Redf—"

"Like I said, unfortunately. A little surprising to say the least; I know."

Of course, there were always some people who didn't recognise his family name, and he was truly relieved when he came across those people. But unfortunately, there weren't that many of those kinds of people left, and Lucy Heartfilia was definitely not one of those people, and Bickslow knew exactly why.

It was because they came from similar backgrounds and the same kind of families. And of course, growing up in that kind of world, Bickslow had learned a few things about the families and businesses his own competed with. Unfortunately for Bickslow's, the Heartfilias had always been one of those competitors. Not that Bickslow himself cared, though. In fact, he just didn't care about that kind of life at all, and it was part of the reason he'd left it all behind him and made the relationship with his parents somewhat strained for the first couple of years.

It also didn't exactly help with things that Bickslow already got judged enough because of his magic. He didn't need people judging him because of the life he'd grown up with, especially when it had never been one he'd enjoyed. So he'd kept it all hidden, because people didn't need to know who he really was. He just wasn't that kind of person.

Besides, after all that had happened with Phantom Lord because of people finding out who Lucy really was, Bickslow knew that it definitely wasn't worth making his secret known to a few more people, even if the shock of it all would eventually blow over and things would go back to normal.

Lucy gasped when everything finally fell into place in her head, and all she could do was stare at the piece of paper before she began to laugh almost hysterically. She knew she shouldn't be laughing, but she really couldn't help find it all hilarious. It had been long enough that she could actually laugh about the life she'd had, and when everything to do with Bickslow had turned out to be a whole lot of coincidences, it really was hard not to laugh about it all.

Bickslow wasn't the only one who knew about the other families in the country and who hated who, meaning Lucy was also aware of their own family's almost hatred for each other. But, she also knew that the two had been in the process of working out a truce when she'd been a lot younger. Unfortunately, that just happened to involve an arranged marriage between herself and Bickslow's family's eldest son, and that just happened to be Bickslow himself. Apparently.

Of course, the entire thing had fallen apart when he'd supposedly decided to run off. She'd never actually met – or known the name of – the person she'd been supposed to marry, but then again, she'd been fourteen at the time and an actual wedding hadn't been supposed to happen until she was at least sixteen which was the legal age in their world. Their families were really just getting everything sorted out in advance, but when her future fiancé decides to run off and do god knows what, all of it gets called off.

Lucy had been glad, of course, and at the time, she'd hoped it would be the only time she'd have a marriage arranged for her. Their families, on the other hand… Well, they went back to hating each other, from what she could gather. Well, until the last of hers all died, leaving Bickslow's the only family left in that line of business.

But still, the fact that she'd been in the same guild for so long with someone she was supposed to have married, and was now helping him raise his daughter, was pretty damn entertaining.

Bickslow, on the other hand, had no idea what she was laughing about. At all. And he really just wanted to know what was so funny to have the blonde giggling like a school-girl. "Okay, please explain whatever it is you're laughing about…" he mumbled, only carefully trying to pull his daughter from her arms to continue feeding her himself.

 _Oh god! He doesn't know!_ Her laughter only got louder as she ended up falling to her side on the lounge with her hand clutching her stomach. Oh, it was all far too entertaining now. "It was… It was you," she choked out eventually. "You were the one who ran off."

"Like you can talk about running from your family," Bickslow scoffed. "I hear you did the exact same thing."

"B-But you ran… Because of a marriage."

He arched a brow and turned to look at her in shock then. "How the fuck do you know that?" No one knew that apart from his family. Not even his team knew just why he'd left.

Lucy managed to regain enough composure to sit up again, and her fingers brushed under her eyes as she did her best to calm herself down with a few deep breaths. "Because it was supposed to be to _me_ ," she choked out again.

"Huh? What? How?" It didn't really make sense to Bickslow. Sure, the final straw into him leaving had been because he didn't want to stick around and be forced into marrying someone he didn't know – let alone be forced into marrying someone at all. But it didn't make sense for that someone to have been Lucy.

Their families hated each other because they were the only two families in the same business. For them to even think about having their children wed, that would mean… _Oh, hell no_. It suddenly did make sense. Almost perfect sense, actually. They'd constantly been trying to buy-out each other anyway, so they'd be putting an end to it all if they were to actually join together and become one super-company and become all the more powerful and rich. And really, with their kinds of families, that's all it was about.

But really, all he'd known was that he was supposed to be getting married. He didn't care for knowing who it was and he'd never cared much about his family's business to pay much attention or ask about what went on.

As he tried to wrap his head around the fact that he could have married Lucy goddamn Heartfilia, he couldn't help but let his mind wander back to his daughter. The entire purpose of those kinds of marriages in their old world was to produce heirs and heiresses and continue the family bloodline… Which would mean, by that point, given that he knew they wouldn't have been married at all until she'd reached the legal age in Fiore (it was just something he assumed, given the fact it had really been because he hadn't wanted to wait around for something he didn't want), that there would have been a chance that his daughter would have been _their_ daughter. Or their son, technically.

And that was definitely a weird thought. Just as weird to know that the woman he'd supposed to have married because of their stupid families had ended up in the same guild as he had. And, not to mention, slept with his daughter's mother's fiancé, and was now also helping him look after said daughter because he was convinced she was the perfect person to do so.

Suddenly, Bickslow could see why she was laughing so much, because it actually was pretty entertaining. Strange, but entertaining. It was really just a whole lot of weird coincidences.

And all he could say then was, "Huh." Nothing else seemed adequate, because it was really just a 'huh' kind of thing. It was almost funny how things seemed to work out.

So after they just sat there laughing about how their strangely connected their lives were, and Lucy had definitely calmed down some and was no longer crying from laughing so much, she quietly said, "What about Scarlett?" She didn't know where it had come from, but it had just been floating around in her head and she needed to get it out.

"Scarlett?" he repeated, an eyebrow raised as he turned back to Lucy and drew his gaze from his daughter.

She shrugged then. "Yeah. Scarlett. For a name," she explained, nodding down to the newborn. "I mean, I know it's kind of the double red thing with your last name, but… What do you think? It's _your_ daughter after all."

He looked back down to her then, and his head tilted to the side as he pondered it. It bounced around his head, and as he quietly said her possible full name, he realised it seemed to roll off his tongue. "Scarlett…" he mumbled. Without a doubt, he definitely liked it, and as Bickslow looked down at her, he realised that it was the perfect name for her.

She was a Scarlett, and she was _his_ Scarlett.

* * *

 **So, yeah. A lot happened. I absolutely love having different backstories for Bickslow between all of my stories (and like seriously, he has a lot of different ones at this point), and I couldn't help myself with this. Thought it would be fun to go down this route, and it was fun to write.**

 **That, and Lucy's involvement is just... Yeah, I have no words. I'm just having fun now. This entire story is just going to be fun.**

 **Anyway. Hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Until next time.**

 **\- April**


	3. Learning on the Job

**Time for another chapter! Like I said in the first one, this one isn't going to be getting updated very frequently at all. Still though, I shall do my best to work on getting a new chapter up once a month while I can!**

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be okay on your own for a little while?" Lucy asked as she slowly backed into the front door, her worried eyes focused on Bickslow who was leaning his head on the breakfast bar. "If you want me to stay, I can. I can get Virgo to bring me a chan—"

Bickslow groaned into the counter as he slowly lifted his head and turned to look to the blonde by the door. "I'll be fine for an hour," he cut her off suddenly. "She's asleep right now, so you can go and do… whatever it is you need to do." Bickslow was honestly far too tired to even remember what it was Lucy had said not even an hour earlier. He was sure it involved something to do with her needing to go shower and change since she'd accidentally and not intentionally spent the night (or at least most of it) on his lounge, but half of the conversation had gone in one ear and out the other.

Lucy sighed as she nodded, and she finally reached out to wrap her fingers around the metal handle of the door. "Alright, fine," she said quietly. "I'll be as fast as I can though, okay? Just, you know, try and get at least a little bit of rest while it's quiet, or at least have a hell of a lot of coffee or something. A thirty-minute nap can do wonders though. Seriously."

"Jesus, Cosplayer," Bickslow chuckled. "You make it sound like you actually care about me."

"W-Well, I do, and I mean… You're my friend and all, and I'm just… You know… I'm just trying to look out for you and help you."

The corner of his mouth pulled up into a smirk as he finally pushed himself from where he leant over his island counter, and he looked over his shoulder at Lucy as he turned to his fridge. "You're cute when you blush, you know that?"

"B-Bickslow!"

"What? It's true." Okay, so maybe it was his sleep deprivation talking, but she really was cute when she blushed. Like, more so than usual. But no matter how much sleep he'd had (or not had, really), Bickslow was well aware that he probably shouldn't have just called her cute – especially not after just finding out that he was supposed to have married the woman.

But really, he couldn't help but say it. He'd called her hot, sexy, downright delicious on multiple occasions (to her face, no less, and each time she'd been wearing something that he was convinced would look better hiked up or on the floor somewhere), but never _cute_. Cute he reserved for… Well, no one, actually. Bickslow didn't call anyone cute. Cute was what you called people you actually liked, and Lucy? Yeah, Bickslow didn't really _like_ Lucy. There was a difference between wanting her spread out on his bed and wanting to kiss her (it was a little strange that he wanted to, but he mostly ignored that), and take her out or something.

… _All_ of which he probably would be doing right about then, should he actually have stayed and let his family force him into getting married, because right then, they would have been married for four _fucking years._

Four years!

Four years of being forced to be together for the sake of their families. Four years where he'd have been married to her… To say that Bickslow was having a hard time dealing with all of that in his sleep deprived state was an understatement, because right then, all he could think about was how they'd still managed to be in each other's lives – though, granted, not even close to being the way it could have or should have been. It wasn't like that was a problem though. Oh no. Bickslow had never wanted to get married then, and neither had Lucy – especially not to someone she didn't know. It was really a good thing that it had all been called off when he'd left, and Lucy had thanked him profusely for that right after they'd calmed down and it had been decided that his daughter's name was going to be Scarlett.

Still, though… They'd ended up in the same guild and had been in the same guild for ages, and neither one had realised that the other was who they'd been betrothed to at some point.

Lucy Heartfilia – friend, supposed to have been wife, cosplayer, technically should have been the mother of his children at some point (thanks to their family values and all that), and now, his guide into the world of all things parenting. Because he really was useless.

So… Yeah, maybe calling her cute in his sleep deprived state wasn't the best idea, considering all things. Not that he didn't mean it though, because he did. She was cute – among other things – but regardless, he should not be hitting on her when she was doing him a huge favour. He knew that much. Looking back over his shoulder at the blonde by the door, he really did have to fight the urge to smirk, because she really was adorable all flustered and having no idea what to say. "Sorry," he said as sincerely as he could. "No more complimenting you. Got it."

"That's not… I just…" It really wasn't that she had a problem with Bickslow complimenting her, it was just a little strange and unexpected. Cute was new. If it had been anything else – like, for example, him blatantly telling her that she would look a whole lot better without clothes, which he had done on numerous occasions – she wouldn't be internally freaking out about it. Taking a steeling breath, she looked over to Bickslow in the kitchen as she slowly pulled the door open behind her, and she quickly muttered, "Thank you, I think… But… I'm just… Gonna leave…"

"See ya soon, Cosplayer."

A sigh escaped her before she shook her head and finally stepped out onto the small porch, closing the painted black door and leaving the not-so quietly laughing Seith mage alone in his house with his newborn daughter. Lucy was sure that Bickslow was never actually going to give that name up, he'd been calling her it for so long.

A part of her didn't actually mind it though. She'd been dealing it long enough to know that he was _mostly_ harmless. Sure, he was a huge flirt and incredibly pervy when he really did want to be, but she'd been friends with Bickslow long enough to know that he never really meant any of it. All of it was just part of his sense of humour and how he had fun.

Still, she'd been putting up with it for a while and she had found herself laughing (while simultaneously shaking her head or being just a little mortified) at just a few of his crude jokes… Namely one involving Cinderella and what had happened to her once she got to the ball, and then one about a bride smiling on her wedding day. But, even though she did find just a few of his witty (or not so witty) one-liners just a little entertaining on the odd occasion, Lucy had yet to figure out just how Bickslow had so much fun with annoying the living hell out of her, because he really only made of point of trying to get a reaction out of her. No one else.

Of course, Lucy had put that one down to Bickslow just having nothing better to do with his time and he'd figured out how to irritate her enough without getting himself kicked through a wall. He just liked to have fun, and after being in Fairy Tail for so long, Lucy knew how to have fun.

As Lucy finally began her trek home, she stopped in the middle of the stone path in the yard, and she turned around just to take in everything around her. She'd been past his house a million times before – the brick two-story townhouse with the tree that shaded the entire yard, and the small porch that covered the black painted door. It was a nice house, undoubtedly, and it was in an even nicer part of the town (or at least it was nicer than the quarter she lived in). But she'd never once expected Bickslow to live in that part of town. Hell, she'd never expected him to have a house like that, either – maybe a studio apartment or at least a small house or something, but never a two-story home with a closed in yard (both front and back, she knew, considering they'd come in through the back which she noticed was definitely kind of nice with the outdoor entertaining area), and definitely not a decorated yard.

But, as she looked around, she couldn't help but smile at the little tombstones that decorated the well-kept (surprisingly) yard, each of them with the names of his teammates, no less. Even though she'd only been in Magnolia for a couple of years, she'd seen the decorations that came out every year around Halloween every year she'd been there, but she'd never once expected them to be Bickslow's. Granted, she'd also never exactly walked into the gated yard to see the names on the decorative tombstones. If she had, it probably would have clued her in on who lived there.

She couldn't really focus on that though. Later, she'd probably ask when Bickslow had moved in or something, but then wasn't the time to do so. She still had to get home and shower and change, and then come back just to take him out shopping for everything he would need.

So turning again, she left the decorated yard behind her, and walked through the black metal gate at the front of it and began her walk home, finally. She was only a little glad that it wasn't that long of a walk, because she was almost beginning to wish she had time to go and have a nap.

* * *

Bickslow couldn't help but groan a little bit when Lucy pulled him into the first store of the day. Now that it was decided that Bickslow really did want to keep his daughter and not give her up for adoption, he had a lot of things to buy. Furniture, clothes, toys and whatever the fuck else he was supposed to use to help her learn or something-or-other, and then whatever the hell it was he was supposed to feed her, since whatever his neighbour had given him to help with Scarlett was only enough for a couple of days at most, so he figured out.

Scarlett was actually with his neighbour, Vanessa, again. Though Bickslow had never exactly been on the best terms with his neighbours, the woman with a family of her own to look after was quickly becoming one of his favourites. Aside from Lucy in that moment, of course, because seriously, she was being a godsend right then. But, once Lucy had come back to Bickslow's house, coffee in hand just to try and perk herself up for another long and busy day, she'd politely tried to explain that it was going to be a lot easier to do all of their running about without having to take a newborn with them. Besides, it really wasn't the best idea to take a one-week-old baby out in public. If she'd been a little bit older, then it would be different, because then _Lucy_ wouldn't be worrying about her getting sick when she was so young. Bickslow didn't need that on his plate, so, it was just safer for his neighbour to look after her for a little while.

So after heading down to town hall to get her birth registered and officially listed as his daughter (Lucy had been far too excited in that moment, and Bickslow had found it just a little contagious), he'd been dragged off to the largest store with everything baby-related in Magnolia.

As he followed Lucy in, he cringed, and without his visor (again, something he'd realised he'd left at home halfway to the damn store in his sleep deprived state), it was definitely easy to tell just how uncomfortable and out of place he was and felt. Everything was so bright and colourful and never in a million years (or maybe closer to around ten or fifteen) did Bickslow imagine he'd actually have a reason to come into a store like that.

"So, what first?" he asked quietly, quickly catching up to the blonde with just a few quick strides. Bickslow just had no idea where to begin, there were that many things he was only just coming to realise he needed to buy. All of which, thankfully, could be found in one place. Or… At least most of them.

Lucy shrugged as she pulled a cart from the bays and pushed it in front of Bickslow for him to start to push. "Well, how about we start with the basic necessities?"

"Sure. Not that I really know what any of those are," Bickslow mumbled, and just as quickly as Lucy rolled her eyes, the corners of his mouth pulled up into a wide smile. With a hand out, gesturing to the aisles in front of them that took up at least half of the store, he said, "But by all means, lead the way, Cosplayer."

Fighting the urge to groan and sigh in frustration, Lucy quickly turned on her heels to begin to scout the ends of the aisles down one end of the store, and Bickslow slowly followed behind her as she ducked into the first aisle after having seen what she had deemed a good starting point – something to feed her, and considering Bickslow physically couldn't himself, since he was not the child's mother, that meant formula.

The two continued to duck in and out of aisles as the trolley slowly became more and more filled. Formula, nappies, bottles and everything else to go with them, wipes, creams, towels, cloths, soaps and shampoos, plus a few things Bickslow was sure he had lying around in his own bathroom, like cotton balls and such. And that was really just the beginning, or so Lucy had said. He didn't even know there would be so many things he'd need, but hey, without Lucy, he'd be a lost cause.

As he continued to follow her though, he could only watch in a little bit of wonder. She knew so much about it all that it was beginning to make him feel just a little bad. He was the one with the baby, but he was the one who was clueless about everything. When she explained what she did know about each and every item she placed into the cart, he was more than grateful. He listened to every single word she said about why he would need something, and he was going to do his damn best to remember it. He had to at least make an effort, because after all, he was the one who had decided he wanted to keep his daughter and be her father. There was no way he was going to do that without knowing how to do it. He had to try and do his best.

And Lucy knew that he was trying too, and when he asked his own questions about why he would need a particular something, or why he'd need multiple of something else, she found herself not fighting the urge to roll her eyes or sigh with her growing frustration about Bickslow's serious lack of knowledge when it came to children, but instead she tried her best not to tell him how glad she was that he was doing all of it. Lucy still hadn't figured out why she had been so worried about Bickslow deciding to give Scarlett up for adoption and why she had been so relieved to know that he just had to keep her, but a part of her didn't want to figure it out.

But just knowing that Bickslow was, right then, an actual father was something Lucy was having just a little bit of a hard time wrapping her head around, no matter how much she found herself really liking it. And that in itself was more than a little strange, but she wasn't trying to figure that one out either. It was just a little funny to her, though, that the first person in the entire guild (or at least that she knew of, because the guild had definitely grown quite a fair bit in the short years she'd been there, and even then, she still wasn't on speaking terms with absolutely everyone, despite what everyone else thought) aside from Bisca and Alzack to have a kid, was the guild's resident prankster and pervert.

She still liked it though, for some reason. She liked that Bickslow was truly willing to learn, and seeing that in him – that seriousness when he was known for being anything but serious – had Lucy sure that he really wouldn't be the worst father in the entire world, even though he was convinced he would be. But that was still okay. He wasn't going to be the best, but Lucy was going to help him as best he could. And, once his team got back from their job, she knew that they'd do their best to help him out with his daughter as well.

For now, though, it was just her, and she felt incredibly honoured that Bickslow had come to her of all people for help. He could have gone to Mira, or even Laxus and his team first, or even anyone else, for that matter. But he hadn't. He'd come to the person he spent more time trying to make laugh and pressing her buttons out of anyone else in the entire guild, and she did like that. She wasn't going to tell Bickslow that though…

It was as they were standing in one aisle just a little while later when a clerk from the store came up to them, smiling brightly with her bright pink shirt on with the store's emblem on it. "Hi there!" she beamed at the two, her hands clasped in front of her. "Anything I can help you two with today? When's the little one due?"

Lucy looked up from the small box she held in her hands, just to see the woman with the dark red hair looking directly at her. Her eyes went wide when she realised just what it looked like – that they were together and shopping for their own child – and her face quickly turned a shade that could only make Bickslow begin to laugh quietly to himself when he figured out just what was going through her head.

She couldn't help but quickly glance down to her flat stomach before she quickly placed the box in her hands back on the shelf next to the small first aid kits, and she forced a smile as she smoothed down the front of her shirt. Granted, it probably wasn't the best thing to do. "I'm… I'm not pregnant," she squeaked, still aware that her face was searing hot. It wasn't like she knew everything, but she also didn't want help from the sales clerk who had basically just said she looked like she was pregnant. That was something she definitely did not appreciate.

"Oh?" The woman suddenly looked between the grinning Seith mage who was, for whatever reason, finding it all too entertaining, and to the blushing blonde who made a point of trying not to seem as embarrassed as she actually felt. "How old, then?"

Lucy stared in shock at the woman as she tried to figure out if there was a polite way to tell her to _go the fuck away_ and mind her own goddamn business. Sure, Lucy could see that she was probably just being overly nice and trying to do her job (she would probably be of great help when it came to people who knew nothing about what to buy, like Bickslow, actually), but when she was sleep deprived and was trying to figure out how she looked like she'd had a kid (or was having one), she was not willing to accept that help.

What could she say? She was a little stubborn.

But before Lucy could even get a single word out, Bickslow quickly stepped forward and his arm went over the blonde's shoulder. "A week old," he answered, the wide grin with his tongue lolling from his mouth making it incredibly obvious he was just having far too much fun. Seeing the utter shock on the woman's face as she stared at the equally as shocked blonde beside him, Bickslow quickly looked down to Lucy just to see her glaring at him from the corner of her eyes, and he said, "Looks great, doesn't she?"

"Uh… Yeah," the woman muttered. She was having a hard time trying to see how Lucy could have possibly given birth just a week prior. A very hard time indeed, considering she truly did look great – three-quarter sleeve tee that was tight enough to show that she was definitely was in great shape, and jeans that were definitely too tight for her to be wearing if she'd had a baby just a week earlier.

"But…" Bickslow continued, doing his best to make the situation just that little less awkward than he'd already made it. "We're good here. Thanks though!" Okay, so he probably should have eased up on the enthusiasm with it, but he meant it. He didn't particularly need the somewhat nosy woman following them (or them following her) around, and he was definitely more than happy and fine with just Lucy.

For now, Bickslow still didn't particularly want people to know. Even if the woman was just a stranger who was definitely not likely to tell anyone he actually knew that he was shopping in a baby store – with Lucy, no less – he still wanted to keep it between people he actually trusted. Like Lucy, and his neighbour. He just wanted time to settle and get adjusted with everything as best as he could before everyone else found out. Until his team got back at the very least, Bickslow had no intentions of going to the guild or talking to anyone other than Lucy, because as weird as it was, he was sure that Lucy was the only person he really needed then.

Of course, Bickslow wasn't going to tell her that. Oh no. He might have been prepared to beg her for her help just the day before, but things had changed. All he could do was hope that Lucy would stick around for a little while longer and help him get through it all, because he really didn't know where he would be even right then if it wasn't for her.

The woman nodded once, only glancing between the two who she had quickly deemed as an odd couple (at least in her eyes), and then turned to walk back down to the end of the aisle and out of it, leaving Bickslow and Lucy to their devices.

As soon as she had left the aisle and they were alone, only the ambient sounds coming to their ears in the massive store, Lucy turned just to elbow the Seith mage in his side, just under his ribs. "What the hell was that?!" she hissed, eyes narrowed as Bickslow laughed while a hand rubbed at his side.

He shrugged. " _That_ , was fun."

"Fun?!" Lucy quickly caught up to Bickslow once she'd gotten over yet another round of initial shock and he'd slowly begun on his way down to the other end of the aisle. "That was not fun," she mumbled. "That was… _Embarrassing_. I mean… Do I… Do I really look like I'm pregnant?!"

An eyebrow shot up as Bickslow looked back down. "Seriously? Not even close, Cosplayer. Perfect as always," he answered truthfully. When he said she looked great just before, he did kind of mean it. Just like he meant it when he called her cute just that same morning. Perfect, though… Well, he wasn't really sure what that one was, but already the day was proving to be interesting, but it was quickly becoming very fun. "And yeah, it was fun. At least it was for me."

Lucy sighed as they slowly walked around to another part of the store, and as she did so, she couldn't help but move her arms away from where they were folded just under her bust. She really wasn't entirely sure why she was feeling so incredibly self-conscious about her body then, because she knew she looked good. She hadn't had a baby, and she sure as hell didn't look like she could be having one or had just had one a week earlier. She knew the store clerk was just being nosy in an attempt to be helpful (though unwanted), but Lucy also knew she was going absolutely insane.

First it was Bickslow calling her cute, and then she found herself feeling just a little flattered (strangely) by it. Now it was saying she was perfect, and Lucy had to admit that it was actually kinda nice. Normally, it was blatantly hitting on her and trying to piss her off, but that day, it was different. But she liked that different for whatever reason, even if Bickslow calling her perfect was a mystery within itself, but it had actually sounded like he… meant it? When Lucy quickly stole a glance as they turned, she saw that Bickslow didn't even look remotely closed to fazed by it at all.

And for a moment as they slowly walked in silence, there was a soft smile on her face. Bickslow was just a little bit reassuring and had made her feel just that little bit better about herself, not to mention less embarrassed. But… Then she remembered that Bickslow had decided to have a bit of fun, and that smile was quickly lost and replaced with a scowl. He could have had fun without making it seem like she'd had a baby and they were together. That wasn't fun at all.

Back to being just a little bit mad at Bickslow, she quickly argued, "No, that was _not_ fun. And why are you so set on always making everything fun anyway?"

"In general or now?"

"There's two different answers?" Lucy asked, a perfectly shaped brow lifted in slight amusement. Bickslow shrugged, and she only let out a sigh with a quick roll of her eyes. "Both then."

He stopped just after Lucy when she turned to look at a shelf with towels and flannels and everything of the sort, only quickly glancing up to him as she waited for his answer. "Well," he began, reaching for a purple handtowel that he was convinced was actually as soft as fur. "In general, because I spent the first eighteen years of my life being told what I can and can't do, and I was expected to become someone that I didn't want to be, so I have fun because I can. Even if people think they can stop me, they can't really. I just like being able to do what I want and being happy. Enjoying life, I suppose."

That, he expected Lucy to be able to understand, at least just a little bit. He didn't really know what her life was like growing up, but he suspected it to be just a little similar to what he'd been subjected to. Still, no one had ever actually asked him why he was the way he was, and that's what Lucy was essentially asking him. Very few people actually knew who he actually was as far as his name went, but there were even less who actually knew anything about how he'd grown up. Lucy was one of those people, and if anything, she had first hand knowledge when it came to being forced into living a life that one didn't want.

Bickslow had always hated that though. Truly. He'd always liked being just a little different, because in a world where differences weren't all that tolerated, it was really his only form of freedom – until he'd just up and left when he'd truly had enough of it all. It had been bad enough he was the only mage in that generation, having skipped his father and having a younger brother who didn't end up being born a mage, so even right from birth, he'd had a reason to stand out, but he'd enjoyed that.

So when it came down to it, Bickslow really was just enjoying life. He was happy doing all of it, being the odd guy in the guild with a penchant for making people either hate his existence for pissing them off, or making them laugh. The girls, the jokes, the easy-going attitude – that was how Bickslow had fun, and after spending the majority of his life having that happiness suppressed because of the world he'd been brought into, he wasn't going to let it up and change it for anyone.

Apart from his daughter, of course. Now that she was in the picture, Bickslow knew that some things would have to change, whether he wanted them to or not, but that was okay. He knew he would still be happy, even if he could see his life doing a complete one-eighty in the future, but it would be a different kind of happy. He couldn't explain it quite yet, but there was a feeling in the centre of his chest, and when he thought about how his life was truly going to be changing for the better, that same feeling grew into something else that made him feel… strangely warm. He really wasn't sure what it was, but he liked it. That's what he did know, but he wasn't going to tell Lucy that. She didn't need to know that.

"So you're basically just being a troublemaker because you didn't get to when you were younger?" Lucy asked as she placed two neatly folded towels in the cart, and she quickly explained, "The softer ones will be easier on her."

Bickslow nodded – to both the question and the statement. "Something like that," he agreed, and he slowly began to follow her down to a different part of the store again. "But as for now…" A smirk suddenly pulled at his lips that Lucy didn't see, being too busy looking at the items on the shelves on her side of the aisle. "Well, considering I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be getting laid for the next eighteen years, and the only action my dick will be getting will be from my hand, I have to find other ways to entertain myself. Like, annoying the hell out of you just that little bit more, for example." He paused just to look down to the blonde who was back to being adorable in her blushing state, and holding back on the urge to burst out laughing, he said quietly, "I mean, unless you want to help me in that department too."

Oh, he couldn't help but get that one in there. Even if he meant it as a somewhat harmless joke, the slap on his arm he'd gotten just as he couldn't hold his laughter in any longer was definitely worth it.

That was all he was going to get though. Lucy was telling herself not to freak out – or at least make a point of not showing it. She was going to ignore what Bickslow had just said and will herself to stop blushing up a storm, and not give him the satisfaction of screaming at him for being a giant ass and perv. She'd done that enough and had learned that it had no effect on him whatsoever. So instead, she just shook her head as he continued to laugh (she was sure that it was echoing around the entire store, that's how loud he was getting). "You're one of a kind, Bickslow," she said quietly. How Bickslow had come from such a high societal family with values and morals and standards that she knew all too well, and ended up being _that_ kind of person, she had no idea.

It wasn't like she was the person her father raised her to be either though. Sure, she wasn't anywhere near as bad as Bickslow, or half the guild, and she still had her moments where she was far from _ladylike_ , but she still held on to some of the beliefs she'd grown up with. How could she not? She'd spent almost her entire life in that kind of world, and there were times where she still felt like she was truly finding herself and having to remind herself that some things she was allowed to do, or others weren't important as they'd once been.

In a way, she was a little envious of Bickslow. He'd found who he was and he happy with who he was. It wasn't like Lucy wasn't happy, because she was more than happy with her second family and her friends.

But Bickslow… Bickslow was just… A mystery, almost. She couldn't even begin to picture what Bickslow would have been like when he was still with his family, not when the one right in front of her was seriously one of a kind. Lucy was sure there was no one else in the world that was like Bickslow, and that, she found herself liking about him. He'd truly become who he wanted to be, regardless and despite of what everyone wanted him to be and thought he should be, and he just didn't care about any of it. He was happy, and that was what mattered.

Still, though, he was a mystery. Even when Lucy knew just a little bit more about him, she felt like she knew even less. He'd almost always been an enigma within the guild, just like his entire team, and if Lucy was telling the truth, she thought it suited him. The author within her had truly thought of so many plots for him in her head that it wasn't even funny (not that she'd ever tell Bickslow that, or how there was a character in one of her scrapped stories that was heavily influence by him). The man behind the visor; hiding in plain sight, perhaps? The fact most people knew little about him was what made him so interesting.

Of course, now that she would be spending time with Bickslow to help him – with his daughter and only his daughter – she was hoping that she would be able to crack the mystery that he was. She wanted to see if there was another side to him when he wasn't around everyone or at the guild, because with what Lucy had seen so far, he seemed to be far more laid back.

But maybe that was the fact he was probably stressed out beyond all belief, a little terrified of what he was now doing and taking on, and was severely lacking sleep. Not that any of it seemed to hinder his near overbearing personality and tendency to be a depraved moron.

"That's the entire point," Bickslow chuckled. "And thank you." Being called one of a kind was definitely a compliment in his opinion, even if it was never really intended to be one.

Lucy rolled her eyes. As she cleared her throat then, suddenly feeling the heat flare up on her cheeks again, and she stole another glance towards Bickslow just to see him smirking at her. He knew she was thinking about something, and he was waiting for her to spill. Lucy could see that. So, she did… "You know, though…" she began, rather awkwardly and quietly. "The entire you not getting laid for the next eighteen years thing… Some people actually find the entire single dad thing… attractive. So I mean, there's that to keep in mind… Unless of course you really do want to just avoid sex for the next eighteen years, then in that case, I wish you luck."

"Are you one of those people?"

 _Oh, dear god… Why did I say that? What have I just gotten myself into? Should've seen that one coming._ "No," she scoffed. "Not a chance, Bickslow."

"Worth a shot," he sighed. It wasn't like he expected any other answer, but still, it amazed him that she'd even said it at all. Unexpected, but great, undoubtedly. And he was definitely finding his shopping trip a lot more fun than he'd ever expected. But there was more fun that could be had. Much more fun… "I have another joke for you though," he said, looking back down to the blonde beside him with a mischievous grin.

Lucy pursed her lips as she looked up to him suspiciously. Bickslow saying that was never exactly the best, because it always followed with a crude joke. "What's this one then?" she asked slowly, looking to Bickslow from the corner of her eyes as they turned down the last aisle.

 _Oh, this will be good…_ The truth was that Bickslow had been waiting to find a reason to tell Lucy this particular joke for far too long. Now, it was the perfect moment. With his grin only becoming more mischievous and cheeky with each second, and making sure his voice wasn't loud enough to travel down to any other shoppers in adjacent aisles, he began, "How is a woman like a condom?"

She had to fight the urge to just stop and hit her head on a shelf or something. Anything to make it stop before he even finished what she was sure was a terrible joke.

"They both spend more time in your wallet than on your dick," he finished.

"Charming," she sighed. Truthfully, Lucy realised she should have expected something along those lines, since that was what almost all of them were like.

"Oh, come on. That's all I get?" Bickslow whined. "I thought it was great. It's fitting and all, considering the circumstances." Getting only a slightly questioning look from the blonde, he continued, "I mean, I have a kid because I apparently _forgot_ to wear one, not that I remember it at all, and you're here, spending all of my money. Totally perfect."

 _Totally perfect… Yeah, right._ Though, Lucy did have to admit it was actually pretty good considering the circumstances, and was just a little entertaining once she thought about it that way. "First of all, I would have thought you'd make a point of being safe, considering how much you seem to sleep around," she said, somewhat sternly.

"Not always in the right mind to exactly remember… Besides, someti—"

Lucy held up her hands as she bit back a groan of disgust. "I don't need to know about your sex life, Bickslow," she interrupted, only getting another amused look from the Seith mage as they came to a stop. It was bad enough she was even having to say any of it at all, but really, she expected the guy to have at least a little bit of common sense when it came to protection considering his lifestyle choices.

Bickslow shrugged. "You kind of brought it up, but okay…" _I probably shouldn't tell her that she's more than welcome to_ _ **really**_ _know about my sex life…_ _Yeah, I've said enough this morning._

"I was just saying," Lucy muttered. "And secondly, I am not spending your money. I am merely _helping_ you spend it yourself. There's a difference."

"Not by much."

"Oh, just shut up already," she huffed. "We need to go find clothes for your daughter."

With another laugh, Bickslow let the blonde storm off ahead of him and to a separate part of the store before he began to follow her. She was really far too easy to get riled up sometimes, but he had to admit, that's what made annoying her so fun. It didn't help that she really was just a little adorable when she blushes and pouts.

But it was definitely more about fun. He wasn't going to focus on how his mind was definitely not in the right place that day. He had to focus on the fact he was having fun by annoying her, and not that he was finding himself wanting to do it more just because she got embarrassed and it was cute, and by under no circumstances was he to focus on just how amazing her ass looked in her jeans right then.

Definitely not that. Or at least, he wouldn't tell her that. He might have to just make a point of following her a little ways back though, rather than just a step or two behind…

* * *

"Hey Bickslow," Lucy said softly, briefly looking up from the clothes she was folding in her lap before she placed them in small piles beside her on the large (overly, she noted. She realised it probably wasn't all that surprising Bickslow had a king size bed, considering his habits) bed. "Can I ask you something?"

Bickslow's eyes flicked over to the blonde sitting on the edge of his bed, neatly folding all of the clothes they'd bought just a couple of hours earlier, now that they were clean and dry after being washed along with everything else. He'd done his best to avoid making a joke about how after all that time, there she was, on his bed, but it was getting really hard to keep his lips sealed. Bickslow had told himself that he wasn't going to make any jokes for the rest of that day after he'd told her yet another terrible one in the store (one that someone else had overheard and had given him a dirty look for), and he was going to stick to that.

No more jokes, no more complimenting her on her looks or calling her cute, and no more staring at her ass. He could survive with those terms, considering he'd inflicted them on himself.

Shrugging, he looked back down to the bassinet that was in pieces on the floor in front of him, and said, "Sure." Lucy could ask him anything she wanted and he'd probably tell her. Sure, he had his secrets, but for the most part, he was an open book. It didn't help that he really didn't mind actually talking to Lucy in this kind of way; spending time with her and all that jazz.

"I just wanted to ask why you live _here_ ," she mumbled, placing another folded onesie down beside her and reaching into the washing basket that was on her other side. Lucy knew it was a strange question, and although it wasn't personal, she really didn't feel like it would be that odd if Bickslow decided he didn't want to answer it.

She'd only seen the downstairs area, and she really had to admit that it was a nice place – open living area with the modern kitchen and nice furniture, full pane windows at the back of the house that looked out into the small yard that was almost completely paved, apart from the one tree in the corner by the tall fences that shaded it all nicely, and then the master bedroom… Holy hell, Bickslow had a nice room. King size bed that was so high and comfortable her toes couldn't even reach the ground, more windows along one wall that looked out into the yard, walk in wardrobe that went into the semi-ensuite bathroom on that floor (though she'd realised that yesterday, admittedly), and then just everything else he had in there.

Bickslow's house was truly undeniably nice, but the only problem was that Lucy almost thought it was _too_ nice for Bickslow.

When he only gave her another glance, as if to say 'please elaborate', she sighed quietly to herself before looking up again and continuing, "I just mean you have a _really_ nice place, and I'm guessing it's at least a three-bedroom house—"

"Four, actually."

"Four," Lucy nodded, correcting herself. "So you have a four-bedroom house, that is really incredibly nice, and you live by yourself. I know I'm probably overstepping, but I just have to ask… Why exactly do you need a four-bedroom house?" Lucy knew she was prying too, and probably being just a little too critical, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to know more about Bickslow, and the issue with where he lived had been bugging her since she realised just where it was he did live.

Bickslow only reached for the instruction leaflet again, quickly reading over it to make sure he had the right pieces, and he shrugged. "I don't need a four-bedroom house," he answered. "I was actually thinking of selling it since I don't even go upstairs myself anymore, but… I don't really want to now."

"Because of Scarlett?"

He nodded. Moving with a baby was going to be troublesome, and he didn't want that. "But, as to why I have a four-bedroom house to begin with…" he continued, keeping his eyes trained on the pieces in front of him as he began to finally assemble them. "The rest of my team used to live here. We bought it a couple of years before we got stuck on Tenrou, when this area was still getting built, and because we basically only do S-Class missions because of Laxus, it was pretty easy to just put all of our savings together to buy the place. No rent, no mortgage. Easy."

Lucy remained silent as she started to fold up the clothes and towels again. It made sense for Bickslow to have such a large house if he'd lived with his team, and she could definitely see them be able to afford buying it and paying for it in full. Of the few S-Class missions Erza had taken them on, even with damages, her share of the reward had always been more than what they ever got combined on most other jobs they took.

"At the end of last year though, Ever decided she was done being surrounded by boys, so she moved into the dorms to 'surround herself with more civilised company'; Laxus moved out about six months ago; and then Freed and I tossed a coin a couple of months back, and I got to keep the house so I moved into this room since it was empty."

"Why did Laxus and Freed move out though?" Lucy asked, reaching for the last item in the basket. "I can sort of understand Evergreen wanting to leave, but why the other two?"

Bickslow shrugged. "We were fighting a lot and getting into all kinds of arguments after a while, and we didn't really want to split up as a team, so after Ever moved out, we all talked about us all living separately," he said, idly twisting a screw into place. "It was fine for a while, I suppose. We had fun and we were around each other like all the time, but it was just us then."

"You don't have fun with your team anymore?"

"We do, but it's kind of different now. After we got back from being frozen on Tenrou, everyone kind of… Grew up? They started getting their lives together. I mean, Ever started sort of seeing Elfman around the time she moved out, and then Laxus left just after that thing between you two went up in flames…"

Lucy groaned. "Please don't even talk about that." It was a month and a half she didn't particularly want to remember, because dating Laxus had truly had been a terrible idea, and they'd both known it. Though, it hadn't quite gone up in flames like Bickslow had said, since they'd actually ended on pretty good terms and were definitely better off as friends. Being just friends had actually made them closer, strangely, but it still wasn't exactly like they were the best of friends. "Though, I can see why he made a point of us never staying here," she mumbled.

When they'd been together and were actually sleeping together, it had always been at her place (or that one time they decided to get a hotel because Laxus was feeling slightly romantic for a brief moment, though it had really only been because he'd known Bickslow was home and hungover, not that he ever told Lucy that since she didn't know where he lived or who he lived with, and Lucy's apartment had been getting a slight renovation after her team completely destroyed her bathroom somehow), but she'd always been curious as to where he'd lived when they'd been dating.

"Oh, so you two actually were sleeping together. Not sure why he didn't bring you here though," Bickslow chuckled, only to get a folded up shirt thrown at him from where Lucy sat.

There was a reason Bickslow only teased her, and had stopped entirely once he'd found out his favourite cosplayer was dating his best friend; she was off limits. Not completely, but enough that all Bickslow could ever do was tease her and annoy her. Of course, once they'd broken up and decided whatever the hell they were doing was definitely one of the worst ideas either of them either had had, Bickslow was free to go back to making her the target of all of his way too inappropriate jokes.

As long as he didn't actually try to sleep with her, all was fine.

"Probably to make sure you didn't overhear anything that is none of your business," she said quickly.

"Overhear, huh? Just what would I have heard?" He was too far gone to even care right then. Lucy's face only became an ever darker shade of red, and her eyes only got wider. Aside from the fact that seeing her simultaneously pissed off and embarrassed was still cute, he was having way too much fun. Clearing his throat with just another glimpse in her direction, and trying his hardest not to burst out laughing, he did his very best to raise his usually low voice and began, " _Oh, Laxus. Mmm, fuck yes, Laxus! More, Laxus! Please, Laxus! Fuck me harder, Laxus!_ Something along those lines, maybe? _"_

"B-Bickslow! That's… You… Sh-Shut up!" she shrieked. Whether it was right on the money or not (it wasn't really far from being right, but with Laxus… Yeah, it had never been all that spectacular, if she had to be perfectly honest), she didn't want to be talking about her sex life with Bickslow. It was bad enough she had slept with his best friend at all, and he was sitting there and saying any of that. In fact, Lucy didn't particularly want to be talking about anything with Bickslow at all right then. Quickly getting to her feet, ignoring the searing heat on her face, she quickly muttered, "You're such an ass sometimes."

Just as soon as Lucy stormed out of the room with Bickslow quickly realised he'd taken things too far and had royally fucked up, the unmistakable whimper was heard from the basket that was sitting on the ottoman at the foot of his bed, and he grimaced. So he might have been just a little bit louder than he should have been when he got far too into the moment, and when his daughter was asleep in the same room… Yeah, she wasn't going to stay asleep for long, especially when he was imitating Lucy and Lucy was yelling at him for imitating her.

Bickslow quickly got up from where he sat on the ground, leaving the bassinet that he was still trying to put together on the floor in front of the windows, and he went over to where the basket sat on the ottoman to gently lift her up and out of it. "Come on, it's okay," he said softly, only beginning to slowly pace the parts of the room that weren't covered in the black pieces of wood that made up the legs of the bassinet or the white box-like part of it that he was glad was modern and not frilly.

From what Lucy had told him, rocking her should help soothe her, so that's what he was going to do. Already, he'd realised hearing Scarlett cry was the worst thing he'd ever heard, and he truly hated hearing it.

" _Cosplayer's leaving,"_ Pappa's quiet voice came into his head over the sound of his daughter crying.

He rolled his eyes as he continued to look down to Scarlett, pacing and quietly shushing her as he gently rocked her in his arms. Bickslow already knew he really wasn't very good at the whole parenting thing, but even if it only been two days at most, he also knew there were things he was going to pick up as he went, because already, that's what had happened. Of course, with the help of Lucy.

But… If Lucy was planning on leaving, then he was completely screwed. He wanted her to stay, if anything, because he had to admit that he liked having her there. Even if she was only there because she was helping him figure out and learn how to be a parent, he liked that she was there at all. He couldn't let her leave though. Not yet, anyway.

Thankfully though, Scarlett was really only crying because she'd been woken up by them (at least he assumed so), so it had only taken a minute or so to get her to quieten down a little, and Bickslow was seriously hoping it would always be that easy. He could deal with that.

Making his way back down the short hall with only the door to his bedroom, the bathroom, laundry door and a linen closet just opposite, he saw Lucy just about to pull the front door open and leave. "Hey, please, I'm sorry, okay?" he said quickly. "Stay. Please."

Lucy sighed as she dropped her hand from the door. She was more than a little pissed off at Bickslow for what he'd said, and when she had barely slept (not that she would complain), she just didn't really want to deal with whatever else Bickslow decided to do and say. Sure, she'd promised him that she would help him with Scarlett, but right then, she just did not want to. Screw getting to know the guy. She tried and it ended up with her feeling utterly embarrassed for not the first time that day.

"Why?" she asked quietly, her mouth twisting into a tight line as she firmed her gaze. He seemed to have his daughter under control for the most part, somehow (he really wasn't as bad and useless as he thought, because with what she'd seen in just the last day and a half, she'd seen that he was a quick learner), so would it really be the end of the world if she did leave? Surely he would survive on his own, because after all, she was a newborn and slept a hell of a lot – there weren't that many opportunities for him to fuck it all up. Even if he did get stuck though, he could just call her, and if it was necessary, she would come over in the middle of the night if he needed her to.

She meant it when she said she would help, but right then? Right then, it was far too tempting to just leave, despite knowing that Bickslow was just having fun – like he always did. The only problem was that when Bickslow had fun, she found she didn't always.

"Because I need you to stay. And I want you to stay," Bickslow answered. No smirks, no grins, no laughing. He meant it, whole heartedly. "Please."

She arched a brow as she folded her arms. "You _want_ me to stay?"

Bickslow shrugged, quickly looking back down to Scarlett who was thankfully almost quiet again. He wasn't sure why she was focusing on the fact that he wanted her to stay and not the part where he actually said he needed her. But whatever. She probably already knew he needed her, if anything. "Yeah, I do," he admitted. "I love talking to you, and I mean, I don't exactly talk to that many people, aside from my team and Gajeel, really. But you're great, and I love that you're willing to actually help me at all with Sco— _Scarlett_ , shit, because it's not like I've ever really been the nicest person to you in the past, since I really just annoy the hell out of you because I can and it's fun. And… And even just before, I know that I was being a massive jerk, and I do that sometimes. I can be a jackass sometimes. Most of the time, actually. I know that. Now that I actually think about it though, I'm probably part of the reason they all wanted to move out in the first place…"

Bickslow knew very well he wasn't always the nicest person. It wasn't always intentional though. It was just what happened when he had a particular sense of humour. Bickslow always knew he got on everyone's last nerves, but he'd never cared. To him, that was what made it all the more entertaining. Pranks, making people want to hate him – he almost loved it far too much.

When it came to his team though, he certainly didn't make an exception with them. He'd been friends with them long enough that they knew exactly what kind of person he was and what he did, but even when they could put up with it for the most part, there were definitely times when he pissed them off too much. And really, it wasn't always what he intended to do. Bickslow knew there were lines he shouldn't cross sometimes, and even though he tried his best not to, it happened occasionally. What he found funny, others didn't. That was something he'd gotten used to over time, and mostly, people had accepted that there were times where he'd overstep and offend someone and he wouldn't mean it.

What he'd said to Lucy then though… Yeah, Bickslow knew it was a big mistake, and he definitely regretted it. He'd crossed the line that he shouldn't have, and he'd pissed her off just that little bit too much that time. He'd been an ass – as usual – and he was sure that she wouldn't want to actually be around him anymore. He was glad and way too thankful that she'd helped him at all, but he couldn't see her wanting to do so anymore. Which would suck, if he was perfectly honest, because he really did like talking to her.

If she wanted to leave because he'd been too much of a jerk, well… He wouldn't blame her. "Um, you know what? Never mind. Just forget that," he mumbled, slowly turning as he looked back down to Scarlett. The sooner all was quiet again, the sooner she could fall back asleep. "I'm sorry for what I said, but, if you really want to leave, then you can. I'm not going to stop you. You're probably tired anyway, since you stayed here last night and all, so… Yeah, you can go if you really want to. Thanks for helping like, yesterday and today though. So much. Just… Yeah…"

Lucy watched as Bickslow slowly disappeared back down the hall by the stairs on the opposite side of the large room, and a sigh escaped her lips when she found herself sliding the strap from her bag off her shoulder and dropping it back down on the island counter close to the door. She didn't really want to leave all that much, but Bickslow really had pissed her off. She could put up with more than half of the things he said, but right then, he'd really crossed the line and leaving really was far too tempting.

But the difference then was that Bickslow actually knew that he'd done something wrong. He rarely knew when he'd said something he shouldn't have, or if he did know, he rarely showed it. He'd definitely never shown regret when it came to anything he said to Lucy though, that was for sure. Right then though, he did. He knew that it was what he'd said that had made her want to leave in the first place, and Lucy could tell that he genuinely was sorry.

If he meant it, then Lucy would give him another chance. Talking to Bickslow – like actually talking to him when he wasn't being a massive jerk – was actually nice, because when he wasn't joking around and wasn't so worried about constantly making every situation fun, he was actually a decent person to be around. They'd never really just talked about anything at all. Even when she'd been dating Laxus and she'd sat with the rest of his team and talked to Evergreen and Freed, she'd never actually talked to Bickslow. When she'd been with Laxus and she'd spent time with the Raijinshuu, Bickslow had always been silent. Incredibly silent, actually. She'd known what it had been about, too; she'd been dating the guy's best friend and even Bickslow had known it wouldn't exactly be appropriate to continue hitting on her (sort of). And considering that was the extent of what their conversations were, he'd just said nothing.

But now? Now she could actually talk to him, and she enjoyed it. And he enjoyed talking to her – more than she expected him to. She'd promised to help him with Scarlett, and figure everything out, and she would. She would stay, and she would give him another chance, because he was sorry.

So with her arms folded across her chest, she slowly made her way back down the hall, and she stopped in the doorway to his bedroom, looking to Bickslow as he sat back down on the floor on the opposite side of the room in front of the windows. "I have conditions to staying right now, and coming back any other day," she said firmly.

Bickslow looked back up as he slowly began to pull another piece of the black rocking frame towards him. "Yeah?" He was sure he'd agree to any fucking condition if it got her to stay, because he really did like the company, and he couldn't stop himself from beginning to smile.

"Firstly: no more talking about my relationship with Laxus. Ever, actually."

That one was easy. Bickslow didn't exactly like talking about to begin with, since it was weird. He just got a little carried away. "Deal," he nodded.

"Good," Lucy sighed, slowly beginning to walk into the room. "Secondly: no more jokes or hitting on me… Unless it's in good taste. Maybe."

"Good taste? You mean… I'm allowed to hit on you if it's in _good taste_?"

"Um… Okay, maybe not…" Lucy mumbled. Giving Bickslow permission to actually hit on her was not really what she'd intended, and it was definitely not a good idea. She honestly didn't think that anything that could come out of Bickslow's mouth could ever be in _good taste_ – that's just the kind of person Bickslow was. She'd only really meant that he could continue being who he was around her if he stopped being a huge perv and kept his jokes to an appropriate level. But maybe with Bickslow, that just wouldn't happen. "Thirdly," she continued, clearing her throat as she kept her eyes down. "We're not going to talk about either of our sex lives. Ever. You're not going to hear about mine, and I definitely do not want to hear about yours."

"Deal," Bickslow said almost regretfully.

Nodding, Lucy stopped at the foot of the bed and she looked down at Scarlett, and then she reached down into it just to pull her into her arms. Lucy liked holding her for whatever reason; wrapping her up in the soft blanket and holding her until she fell asleep again. She didn't know what it was, but Scarlett was definitely special. She'd held babies before when she'd found herself babysitting for just a few tiny jobs, but Scarlett was definitely different. She'd be lying if she said Scarlett being more than adorable wasn't part of the reason she wanted to help Bickslow.

As Lucy sat down on the edge of the bed again between the empty basket and the folded clothes and towels, her legs crossed under her and Scarlett cradled in her arms, she looked back up to Bickslow. She could see that something wasn't sitting right with him. His brow was furrowed and he was uncomfortably silent again, and it wasn't because the assembly instructions for the frame were confusing him. No, Lucy knew what it was about.

He was trying to keep his mouth shut because he didn't want her to leave.

She sighed then, and she rolled her eyes before she finally broke the silence in the room, and she said, "Alright, you can say it." Whatever it was he wanted to say, he could.

Bickslow shook his head. Nope. He was going to be behave. "Don't know what you're talking about," he mumbled.

"Bickslow. Just say it," she sighed again. "After that, you have to behave. Just say whatever it is you want to say. Get it all out and over and done with."

There was a moment of silence where Lucy only stared at Bickslow, waiting for him to finally say whatever it was he needed to get out, and Bickslow deciding if he should actually do it. If she was giving him the chance to get it all out before he practically burst from having to keep his mouth shut (sort of), then he should take it, right? After that, he had to make sure he followed all of her conditions.

But she was letting him say whatever it was that he needed to say… And that? Yeah, he was going to fucking take her up on that offer.

Looking up again with a mischievous grin that made Lucy only pale slightly, he leant back on his hands, and he quickly said, "Whatever Laxus was like in bed, I could do better. What do you call a guy who cries while masturbating? A tearjerker. Sorry, I wanted to tell you that one when we were out earlier but I didn't get around to it. You're more than welcome to get firsthand knowledge when it comes to my sex life though, and I really, definitely want to know more about yours. I can imagine you being a screamer if the guy knows what he's doing. Or girl, if you're into that. That would be kinda hot, to be honest. How are you even single anyway? I mean, you're hot as fuck. Have you seen yourself? No wonder Loke is practically in love with you and half the town is after you. You know I kinda wish I hadn't left my dumbass family? Just 'cause I would've got to nail you and you totally would've loved it. If it wasn't for Laxus, I would actually be trying to sleep with you, and I am just a little annoyed that he asked you out at all because it totally means you're off limits and I can't even say half of what I want to say most of the time because he's my best friend and you're his ex and the bro code is a thing. Although, you are on my bed right now, with my daughter, which is kind of weird to say and I'm still getting used to it, but take out the entire kid thing, and you'd definitely look a whole lot better if you didn't have clothes on."

Lucy arched a brow. "Are you done?"

"You're actually really pretty though. _With_ clothes," he said a little slower and a little softer, only smiling at the blush that crept up on her cheeks. "And… Once my team gets back, and everyone is done freaking out and I'm not convinced I'm going to royally fuck up this entire parenting thing and her life any time soon, I… Am going to take you out somewhere. Like, to dinner or something. Or just drinks or whatever. Not like a date or anything, because that would be weird, but just to thank you. I mean, if you wanted to. I have to do something, because right now, you're kind of like my favourite person because of what you've done, and you probably don't think it's much at all, but to me, it's a lot. Because I'm seriously useless and I have no idea what I'm doing. So, yeah… Now I'm done."

So, he might have gotten a little off topic, but once he'd started, he couldn't stop himself. Sure, he actually was just a little annoyed that Laxus had asked her out at the start of the year because it meant that she really was off limits to him (specifically, really), so even if Lucy would ever be into him – just a little bit – it could never happen. He still didn't actually want to date her; he just wanted to sleep with her. That wasn't going to change any time soon, just like how he couldn't actually do anything other than joke about it.

But she was pretty though. Even Bickslow had to admit that. That was in good taste though, right? Maybe. Bickslow wasn't sure, just like he wasn't sure about what he was going to do to actually thank her. For some reason, dinner or something like that had been stuck in his head when he'd been told to get some rest the night before – when Lucy had told him to. Sure, it probably wasn't the best, since taking her to dinner would probably make it seem like a date, but he thought it would be kind of nice. Maybe.

There were many things Bickslow wasn't sure of right then, and as he leant forward again to look back down to the instructions, his brow furrowed again, he found himself wondering if he actually did kind of want to take her out on an actual date. Or something close to it maybe.

Oh, he was just far too confused. And even if he did want to take her out on a date, he couldn't. She'd dated his best friend, and even if their entire less-than-two-month relationship had been incredibly weird and they really did not work together in the slightest, that meant he could never date her. Regardless of whether or not he actually liked her in that way, which he was sure he didn't. And Lucy definitely didn't like him, nor would she ever like him. He was very, _very_ sure of that.

No, he didn't want to actually date her. Not at all. He just wanted to sleep with her and annoy the hell out of her because he could and it was fun. That's all it was. Though… Now that he'd gotten everything out, he had to follow her conditions and behave if he wanted her to stay, which he really did. It would be hard, for sure, but he'd still try.

Lucy though… Lucy was stuck feeling, well… In all honesty, she had no idea how to feel about what Bickslow had said. If she thought about it, she felt a little flattered. Not so much about the first part of what he'd said, because that, she expected. Maybe not so much the part where she was apparently off limits and Bickslow was kind of mad at Laxus for asking her out (that just confused her a little), and where he said he wished he hadn't left, because if he'd stayed, he would have actually married her, but it was really all over him wanting to sleep with her – or, as it turns out, not really.

It was the second part of what he'd said that had Lucy feeling just a little flattered, because he'd complimented her again and meant it, where it wasn't him hitting on her just because he could. Sure, it was still about her looks, but coming from Bickslow, it was surprisingly nice and it definitely warranted her feeling like her face was on fire. And then saying that he wanted to take her out to thank her, and sure, it was a really nice thought – even though it would be a little weird and way too similar to a date – but she would be more than happy with just a simple _thank you_. Just the words, not even a card. She didn't need anything else.

"Uh, well…" She cleared her throat just as she looked back up again, and softly said, "That was definitely interesting, and thanks, I think… But you really don't need to do anything to thank me."

"I kind of do," Bickslow insisted. "You really are doing a lot for me, and you don't have to at all. But you are, and it makes you great. So yeah, I'm gonna do _something_. Eventually."

"No, you don't."

Bickslow looked back up then. "Yes, I do. End of story." He was stubborn. Very stubborn, actually. He would do something to thank Lucy, that was for sure, no matter how much she didn't want him to. He didn't know what he'd do, but he'd do something. He had to. A simple _thank you_ just wouldn't be enough.

A sigh escaped her lips when she shifted on the bed ever so slightly, just to get comfortable again, and she looked down to Scarlett. Surely helping Bickslow with her wasn't that big of a deal. Lucy didn't think so at least. Anyone would need at least a little bit of help in the same situation. He'd had a week old baby quite literally dropped off at his front door when he hadn't had a single clue that she existed or was going to exist at all. He was a single parent suddenly, when he'd had no intentions of ever being one (especially not then), and especially when he had no idea how to be a parent at all… Yeah, things were a little scary and stressful right then, and he definitely needed help.

There was nothing wrong with that either. Bickslow was her friend – her very odd friend, admittedly – and when a friend needed help, you helped them. That's just what Lucy was doing, and she didn't need anything special for doing so. But… She also knew Bickslow was stubborn. If he wanted to do something for her to thank her, then there was no stopping him.

"Fine," she mumbled with a roll of her eyes. "But seriously, a simple thank you will be enough. That's all I want, to be honest."

"It's not enough, but thank you anyway. I mean it."

"You're very welcome," she said with a soft smile, only getting a shake of a head from Bickslow. That was what Lucy liked though – the actual conversations where he wasn't trying to hit on her or where he was being a massive jerk. They'd actually been having a decent conversation before the entire Laxus thing got brought up… She liked that conversation. A lot. She just couldn't really remember where Bickslow had been going with it. "Hey… What were you saying before? About your team and everyone moving out?"

Bickslow's brows drew together as he moved one of the finished legs to the frame out of the way to put the other together. _What exactly was I saying before?_

" _You were saying everyone grew up,"_ Pippi answered his thought.

" _And then you were impersonating Cosplayer when she's getting screwed by Sparky…"_ Pappa added.

" _Yeah, I don't think that's what she meant,"_ Bickslow silently mumbled.

" _Probably spot on though."_

Puppu was suddenly giggling in his head, then chirped, _"But imagine her saying all of it with your name instead."_

Oh… He had though. At least once. But that wasn't the point. The point was that he'd been talking about his team moving out and all of that, but then he'd gotten off topic with the entire Laxus and Lucy thing. Now though, he could remember just what he'd been saying before he pissed her off and almost made her leave.

"Right, so, everyone started growing up, I guess," he said quickly. "Ever wanted to leave because she didn't want to live with three guys anymore, and then she started seeing Elfman anyway. Laxus wanted his own place after you two broke up, and then after that, Freed started dating Mira and we just kept arguing so one or both of us had to move out, and then I ended up being the last one here because we tossed a coin and I won. Kinda."

"So basically everyone started getting their lives together, and you didn't," Lucy said.

Bickslow shrugged. "Pretty much. Although, now I guess it's my turn to do that since I have a kid now and all… Still though, they're still my best friends and we still work as a team. We just can't spend every second of every day with each other anymore. Besides, Ever spends half of her time with Elfman, and Freed is usually too busy with Mira. Laxus is… Who fucking knows what Laxus does half the time. I think he's dating Cana now. Or at least sleeping with her. I don't even know."

"They're not dating," Lucy said. "They're something, but they're not dating." It wasn't like Lucy minded though. She was better off being friends with Laxus, and they both knew it, so if he wanted to sleep or date or do whatever with one of her closest friends, then she really didn't care. Seriously. Sighing, Lucy looked back up then, and she said quietly, "So it basically came down to everyone just needing to go and live separately so you could keep your friendship."

"Something like that. Don't ever live with your team though. Even if you get along with them fine on jobs, living with them is a whole different story. It's not convenient, and it's just messy."

"Note taken," she said with a smile.

It wasn't like she had any intentions of ever living with her team. It was bad enough they all broke in enough as it was, and more often than not, she'd wake up to find Natsu in her bed or come home to find Natsu in her bed, but she really didn't think what was left of her sanity would last very long if she actually lived with them. They drove her insane at the best of times, and having to live under the same roof as them (though, that roof probably wouldn't last very long when she had three very destructive teammates) would be a nightmare.

It was only when the room fell into silence again though did Lucy realise she had one more question to ask. She knew why Bickslow had the flashy four-bedroom house (and it made sense), and she could understand his team all moving out as they grew up and started getting their lives together… But why had Bickslow been the last one? Sure, he was definitely going to have to start growing up now that he had a daughter, but why had he been so set on sticking to the kind of life where he only had a daughter at all because he'd been stupid and forgot that there were consequences (or maybe he just didn't care?) to his lifestyle.

That was what Lucy wanted to know, and if asking why Bickslow lived alone in a house that was far too big for just him wasn't prying, then what she wanted to ask definitely was.

"Hey, Bickslow…" Lucy said softly, watching as Bickslow briefly looked up from where he was just in front of her and joining the two main pieces of the rocking frame together. "Can I ask you another question?"

"Go ahead."

"Why haven't you ever like, settled down?" she asked slowly, only getting a raised eyebrow from the Seith mage when his focus turned to her. "I mean, I'm not saying that anyone in your team has exactly settled down or anything, because you're all still young so there's no rush to do so… I just…" She paused just to let out a frustrated sigh, then, "You say everyone was getting their lives together in a way, but why weren't you? Well, until now, obviously, and it's great that you know you'll have to and all, but… If this hadn't happened – if you hadn't known about Scarlett – would you have eventually settled down or anything?"

"That's more than one question," he mumbled.

Lucy smiled awkwardly as she shrugged, her lip between her teeth. "All parts to the same question, if you think about it," she contended. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I'm just curious."

 _So she wants to know why I don't date… Alright then._ Like everything else, Bickslow didn't actually have any problems with telling Lucy anything, even if it was about something like that. Besides, it gave him something to talk about, and he could so ask Lucy why she didn't date after he'd finished explaining why he didn't. "Well… Would I have eventually settled down and all that? Yeah, definitely," he began. Starting with the easiest and the last was the best way to go. "It just wasn't really supposed to be like this or any time soon. You know, find the right girl and all that…"

"That's kind of sweet," she murmured, and she couldn't help but giggle slightly at the glare she got from Bickslow. Apparently he didn't like being called sweet. "So you're waiting to find _the one_?"

"No, I'm not," he grumbled. "But to answer your question as to why I haven't ever settled down or started getting my life together, it's because I'm not interested in dating or doing anything like that right now. I mean, it hasn't really been that long since I left, and technically if I'd stayed with my family, I would have been married at like twenty, and I just don't really want to get anywhere close to that right now. Eventually though, sure. But even if I wanted to actually date someone, it's not like I'd have the time to now anyway."

"Are you disappointed about the way things turned out though?"

Bickslow looked back up again. "Because things didn't exactly turn out like I'd expected them to?" She shrugged, and he sat back on one hand just to look at Scarlett in her arms, back to being asleep (or at least getting there).

Sure, on the few occasions he'd actually thought about having kids and having a family and all that, he'd definitely never pictured it turning out like things had. He still wasn't even interested in actually settling down any time soon or dating (much to Mira's disappointment), but eventually, he would have been. But was he disappointed with how things hadn't gone to plan? No, not in the slightest.

He had a daughter, and yeah, just yesterday morning he was freaking the hell out and had no idea if he even wanted a daughter. But now? Now, he was definitely sure he'd made the right decision, because already, he loved her. How could he not, though?

It didn't really matter to Bickslow that he was well aware that he barely had his head above water right then, and that he really knew nothing about kids, because he was glad. He was so fucking terrified that he had a baby, but he was more than happy about it. "No way," he finally answered. "Never really been a fan of doing things the way you're supposed to anyway, and this is… Well, this is basically that. I'm not disappointed in the slightest about this though. I love her, 'cause she's my kid. I don't think I'd change any of it though."

"Aww, that's definitely sweet," she giggled.

Bickslow rolled his eyes. "Fine. That one you can have." It was just a little sweet. Even he had to admit that. "But… You asked me why I don't date," he said slowly. "Why haven't you dated since Laxus?"

Lucy shrugged. "No one worth dating," she answered quietly. She'd said she didn't want to talk about her relationship with Laxus with Bickslow, but that had been a simple question with an even simpler answer.

In all honesty, Lucy just wasn't interested in any form of relationships. Her relationship with Laxus at the start of the year had been the last time she'd actually been in one, and then getting called a home-wrecker by the mother of Bickslow's child not too long after that had been enough to make her want to just stay single. No boyfriends, no guys in bars who she'd never see again… Just no one. She didn't need any of that.

She wasn't going to tell Bickslow that though, not when the answer she'd already given was enough.

And Bickslow was more than fine with that answer. He didn't really expect much either way. He'd just been curious, because even if it was just a tiny insight into the life of Lucy Heartfilia, he would take it. Talking to her was nice, and he was already realising that it was a whole lot better than trying to piss her off.

* * *

 **So that was fun. The M rating is definitely coming in now, and even if it wasn't there for Bickslow's mouth, it's definitely going to be needed in the coming chapters... Hehehe.**

 **There's a lot of things in here that I really didn't expect on adding, but hey, they just happened, and I like them, so they stayed. Hopefully you like them too. The Lucy and Laxus thing was definitely one of those things that I couldn't help myself with, and it's really going to make things interesting in the next couple of chapters. Very interesting.**

 **And, thank you all so much for the reviews! You guys all know I love them.  
As for Bickslow's last name... Well, we'll just have to wait and see to find out what it actually is... **

**Anyway, as usual, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! This story is definitely the most fun to write (at least, Bickslow is more fun to write in this than my others), and I can totally do things in this that I can't bring myself to do in my others... But that's not the point. Or maybe it is. Who knows anymore?**

 **I look forward to seeing what you thought of this chapter!**

 **Until next time.**

 **\- April**


	4. Prince Charming

Lucy stifled a yawn as she pushed the door to Bickslow's house open. Even though she'd slept in her own home and in her own bed the night before, she'd gotten home later than usual after staying with Bickslow and Scarlett until late, so she hadn't had as much sleep as she'd have liked. But, she didn't mind in the slightest, and she'd told Bickslow she'd be there bright and early the next morning, and so that was exactly what she was doing.

He had given her a key the night before just as she was leaving, just so she could come and go as she pleases. It was really just for convenience, and he'd explained that, just like he'd explained that there was nothing weird about giving her a key to his house when there were already three other people who did. Sure, those three people had all lived there at some point, but that was irrelevant. Kind of. It all came down to Bickslow not always hearing someone at the door, depending on where he was in his house, and it would just be easier for everyone if Lucy could let herself in.

There was just nothing weird about it in the slightest.

What was weird though was that Bickslow's home was incredibly silent as she walked in. It was only a little past seven-thirty, but Lucy had half expected him to be up by then. As she made her way past the small sitting area with the lounge by the dining table at the front of the house, she dropped her bag onto the counter as she passed the kitchen. Everything was still where it had been when she'd left (or at least, most of it was). The dishes had been done, but there were still a few boxes or bags scattered around on various surfaces.

"Bickslow?" she called out in the silent room, and hearing not a single sound in response, Lucy headed towards the main lounge room at the back of the house, only to find it empty like the rest of it. She could see that he wasn't outside either, and as she walked back to the kitchen and living area, she instead turned and headed for the hall.

She knew that the furniture for what would become Scarlett's nursery upstairs wouldn't be delivered for a few more hours at least, so she didn't even think that he would be upstairs yet. So instead, she just went straight past the stairs and slowly went down the hall. She could see that the door to the bedroom at the end of the hall was open, and not hearing the shower or any water running from the bathroom just next to her, she slowly crept forward to peek into the room.

What she saw had an instant smile on her face and her heart warming her entire body and soul. Bickslow was in the middle of his bed, his back to the windows that took up the entire wall, sound asleep with Scarlett in front of him with an arm keeping her close. It was quite possibly the sweetest thing she'd seen in her entire life, and that was saying something. Lucy didn't entirely know what it was though, but just seeing Bickslow asleep with his daughter just as peacefully asleep in his arms had Lucy happier than she ever would have imagined. It was kind of beautiful, and she almost wished Bickslow could see what she saw.

But then… Then, Lucy remembered that she could do just that, and she had to contain her excitement as she quickly and quietly turned to rush back down the hall. Lucy had to bite her lip to keep from squealing or giggling out loud at the adorable sight as she ran down the hallway. A picture, Bickslow could see, and then it would be something he could always look back to and hopefully smile about. Lucy knew she would if she had something like that. But, it was precisely why she'd brought a camera with her again, because she wanted to show Bickslow the importance of documenting all of the precious memories to come.

Of course, when Lucy decided to just snap a photo of him the day before when he was only glaring at her while Scarlett was screaming in his arms, he didn't quite understand it, but that was okay. It was his first day as a parent (officially), and that's what Lucy liked about it. He'd been sleep deprived, thrown up on, and his daughter would just not shut up. Day one had been eventful, that was for sure.

But this was day two for Bickslow, and Lucy just had to make sure she got that, because it was a precious moment. Maybe once she'd gotten everything developed, she'd put them all in a scrapbook and give them to Bickslow as a gift to surprise him. Christmas was just a couple of months away after all.

So after getting her camera from her bag, Lucy quietly went back down the hall and into Bickslow's room. She tip-toed across the hardwood floors, and crouched down beside the bed. She only waited a moment before lifting the camera, just to make sure they were both still fast asleep, and pulling her lip bottom lip between her teeth just in an attempt to stop herself from giggling like she wanted to, she only slightly shifted to the side and lifted the camera up just to get the perfect angle for the shot.

Lucy was sure Bickslow would probably kill her if he found out about that one, but she didn't care. He'd find out eventually, but for now, she would keep that photo to herself until it was the perfect time to show him. So silently, Lucy turned once again, leaving the room and only just pulling the door closed behind her with a smile still on her face.

* * *

When Bickslow woke up just half an hour later to his daughter wriggling in his arms, he was actually only relieved. He hadn't even meant to fall asleep with her like that – only to hold her until she went back to sleep and then he'd put her back in the bassinet in front of the window with half the curtains drawn – but it had been four o'clock in the morning and he had been completely exhausted.

He'd been a little worried about falling asleep, only to roll over and suffocate her, or for her to somehow roll off and onto the hardwood floors, but to wake up and see she was fine had Bickslow's nerves calming.

Lifting the arm he had stretched out across one pillow, Bickslow slowly rubbed at his eyes and across his face as he slowly began to get his bearings. Mornings had never been his forte, but then again, neither had a lack of sleep. But, that was something he was kind of ready to get used to, not that he really had that much of a choice. He wanted to be a dad, and he was already certain that losing a little bit (or a lot) of sleep would be totally worth it in the long run.

Becoming more aware of the thankfully quiet bundle of joy that was squirming in the blanket she was wrapped up in, Bickslow opened his eyes again with a tired sigh just to look down at his daughter who was still nestled against his chest with an arm around her. "It's time to get up now, right?" he mumbled, only to get a blank stare from Scarlett before he sighed again. "Yep, time to get up."

Bickslow stole a glance at the alarm clock sitting on one of the nightstands as he slowly moved to the edge of the bed closest to his closet and bathroom, making sure he had Scarlett safely in his arms and against him still. He figured Lucy would be over soon, considering he'd promised her breakfast (along with lunch and dinner for whatever days she stayed, just because he liked cooking), so he realised he didn't have all that much time to get Scarlett changed and fed and back in her bassinet just so he could shower and get ready himself. The worst part was that he didn't even remember the last time he'd had a shower, and it was honestly disgusting himself. It definitely hadn't been the day before, because he'd been too busy to even take the time to do so. He was almost beginning to think the last time he'd had a shower was the night before he'd woken up to find a baby on his doorstep, and it made a shiver run down his spine.

All Bickslow knew was that he definitely needed to do that, and preferably before Lucy got there.

So after disgusting himself even more by changing Scarlett (and on his bathroom counter since the furniture for her nursery had yet to be delivered and assembled, and because there was no way in hell he was even risking getting his sheets covered in anything that could come out of such a tiny human) and getting her into some form of bodysuit that had way too many fucking buttons, Bickslow finally left the bathroom once again with Scarlett in his arms so he could get her fed before she started crying. It was a miracle she hadn't yet.

Except, when he finally made it out of the hall and back into his living room, he stopped when he saw a blonde sitting on the corner lounge in front of the bookcase by the door with a book in her lap. "Right. You're already here," he mumbled again. _Of course she's fucking here. Babies, why didn't you tell me she was here?!_

When he didn't hear their giggling in his head, and he didn't actually feel their presence in his house, he could only roll his eyes. Lucy was there, but the babies weren't. He just had no idea where they could have gone if they couldn't go and annoy Evergreen or irritate people at the guild.

Lucy smiled as she looked up from her (or technically, it was Bickslow's) book. "Sorry. I only got here a little while ago," she said softly. "Sleep well, I take it?"

"Uh… Eventually, I suppose." It was only when he really noticed the mischief in her eyes did he begin to realise just why he'd asked if he'd slept well. It wasn't because she'd known he'd barely slept at all the night before last, but it was because she'd probably walked into his room to find out that he was asleep. With Scarlett. Bickslow couldn't even begin to fathom what it had looked like, but he couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed about it for whatever reason. "Okay, since I'm going to assume that you walked in on me actually sleeping, I'm just going to say that it was like four in the morning and she wouldn't shut up unless I was holding her, and then I just fell asleep. I didn't actually mean to stay like that."

"It's okay," she laughed, placing the book down on the lounge beside her to stand up. "It was actually really cute and incredibly sweet."

"I highly doubt that."

"Doubt it all you want, Bickslow. I know what I saw, and it was definitely cute."

So, maybe he wasn't entirely doubting it, and he could kind of picture how it would be sweet, but he wasn't going to let Lucy have a reason to use it against him. Not yet, anyway. So instead, he just turned to go over to the lounge and past the dining table covered in bags and boxes still, and with a smirk he said, "You calling me cute, Cosplayer?"

Lucy shook her head as she held her hands out to gently take Scarlett from his arms. "Not when you look like that." Of course, she didn't mean Bickslow at all (not entirely, anyway), but she could have fun too.

"It's the no shaving thing, isn't it?" he asked as his lips pulled up into a grin. He hadn't showered, washed his hair, or even shaved in god knows how many days. He'd seen himself in the mirror – he knew what he looked like, and he definitely did not look even remotely close to cute (or even good) when he hadn't shaved, even if it really only had been a few days.

Sighing, he only began to step backwards as Lucy turned and headed towards the kitchen on the opposite side of the entrance way with her own smirk. "Well, if you could feed her, that would be awesome."

"That's what I was planning on doing," she said, lifting her eyes to look up to Bickslow from where she stood by the counter before he disappeared back down the hall.

He nodded. "Right, yeah… So, while you're doing that, I am just going to go have a shower, and make myself all cute again, just for you. I might even do my makeup!"

"You're an idiot."

"I am. Very much so," he laughed. "Let's hope I didn't pass that on to her though."

* * *

Bickslow came back down the hall after a little while, dressed in a black three-quarter sleeved shirt with a red band logo he was sure Lucy wouldn't even recognise and dark jeans, clean shaven (not for Lucy, but because he genuinely did hate the way he looked and hated the feel of it) and feeling just a little less disgusting than he had when he woke up.

"So, I believe I…" He trailed off when he actually came out of the hall and looked to the kitchen on the opposite side of the room, and he couldn't keep the laughter in when he saw the scowl on Lucy's face when she glanced up from where she stood over the sink with a cloth in her hand and was wiping it over the front of her shoulder. Bickslow knew he shouldn't be laughing, but he really couldn't help it. There was something entertaining about his daughter spitting up on Lucy, and he really didn't know what it was.

"Is this payback for laughing when she did it to you yesterday?" Lucy muttered.

"It might be," he chuckled as he strode over to where Scarlett was sitting in just another one of the many pieces of furniture and odd contraptions he'd bought the day before – some sort of rocker, apparently, that was easy to move from room to room. "Good job, kid," he said quietly just as he bent down to pick her up, holding her against his chest with a hand behind her head.

Lucy sighed when she dropped the cloth back into the sink and rinsed it out, and she looked back down to her half-soaked shirt. "I need to go home and change my shirt," she mumbled. "I'll probably be back in thirty or—"

"Wait," Bickslow cut her off as he leant against one counter behind her. "You could always just wear one of mine? I mean, it would save you going back to your place to get one, and I'll just wash yours here and you can change into it again before you leave."

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked slowly.

"Lucy, it's a _shirt_ , not a marriage proposal."

She only gaped at the Seith mage as a warm blush crept onto her cheeks. "I-I know…" she stuttered. She didn't know why she was making a big deal over it. It was just a shirt. She'd worn Gray's shirts (hell, she probably wore them more than he did sometimes), as well as Natsu's and Laxus' on a few occasions. There was nothing weird about it in the slightest, unless she counted Bickslow comparing it to a marriage proposal. _That_ was weird. Nodding, Lucy kept her head down slightly and mumbled, "You're right. So uh… A shirt to borrow would be great, actually. Please."

"No problem," he said with a smile. With Lucy following just behind him then, Bickslow turned once again and headed towards the hall. "Anyway." He cleared his throat just as he made it into his bedroom and then walked into the wardrobe joining his room and the bathroom. "I promised you breakfast, so… What do you want?"

"I'm not really fussed, to be honest. Whatever you want is fine," she answered, watching as Bickslow held Scarlett against his chest with one arm, and began to rifle through the hanging clothes in front of him and around him.

"Well… Is there anything you don't eat?"

"Not really."

He raised an eyebrow as glanced at her. "Nothing at all?" he asked.

"Well, I don't like particularly like apples, but I didn't see any in the fruit bowl so I didn't think it was that relevant," Lucy shrugged.

"Right… So how about an omelette or something? Will that be fine?"

"That sounds great," she said softly.

Bickslow nodded, and he pushed the drawer closed he'd been looking through with his elbow. "Awesome," he muttered as he headed back towards his bedroom. Holding the slightly off-white shirt with another group that he was sure Lucy wouldn't recognise on the front of it out to the blonde, he said, "This one should be okay. I haven't worn it for a while since it's a little small for me, so it's clean and all. And uh… You can just put your shirt in the laundry and I'll get to it later."

Lucy smiled up at Bickslow as she took the shirt from his hands. "Thanks, Bickslow." She only saw him nod again before he disappeared out through the other end of the closet and into the bathroom, and presumably the hall to give Lucy privacy to change.

So quickly, she pulled her own shirt off, only letting it drop to the floor for a brief moment as she reached for Bickslow's again and pulled it on over her head. There were no mirrors in that room, but she was sure she looked just a little ridiculous. And granted, it wasn't actually that big – the sleeves weren't all that long on her, stopping just above her elbows, and it wasn't going down to her knees like some of Laxus' shirts had – but she had to do something about how it was sitting. She reached behind herself to gather up the fabric at the bottom and back of the shirt, and she pulled it tight over her hips as she twisted the excess material in her hands, and then tied it in a knot.

Lucy gathered up her own shirt from where it was on the ground, and only tugging at the fabric of Bickslow's shirt in a few places to make it sit comfortably, she finally made her way back out into the living space after throwing her shirt into the hamper in the laundry.

Hearing Lucy come back into the room, Bickslow looked up from where he was crouched in front of Scarlett in her rocker again, and he couldn't really tear his eyes from her as she slowly – far too slowly, in his head – sauntered towards him.

She watched the blue eyebrows raise as she walked into the room, and seeing how his eyes stayed trained on her, she felt a blush creep onto her cheeks. Again. "What?" she asked quietly, wanting to know just what it was that had him looking at her like that.

 _Well… Apart from the fact that the shirt is apparently see-through and I can see that you're wearing a dark blue bra…_ "You just look a whole lot better in it that I ever did," he mumbled. And she did. Hell, he'd let her keep the fucking shirt just because he thought it looked good on her. But… In all the time he'd known Lucy, he'd quickly come to realise she looked good in absolutely _anything_.

That included _his_ shirts, apparently.

"O-Oh… Well, I'm sure I don't since it's at least four sizes too big on me," she stammered, looking down at herself when Bickslow stood up, before she took his place in front of Scarlett as he went into the kitchen to start getting breakfast ready. "So…" she began, crossing her legs under her as she sat in front of the newborn and smiled at her. "Do you know when the nursery furniture will be getting delivered?"

"I think they said around nine for most of it," he answered from the fridge as he began pulling out ingredients. "And then the rest of it will be sometime this week, or early next week after Halloween. But speaking of Halloween…"

Her mouth twisted into a tight line just as his tone changed, and quickly, she said, "No." She knew where Bickslow was going with it, because every year she'd been in the guild, he'd asked her that same question. And given that Halloween was only four days away, she knew it was high time for Bickslow to ask her what she was going to be going as that year.

"Oh, come on," he whined. "You don't even know what I'm going to say."

"I do. You're going to ask if I'm going to the guild party as a cheerleader, and like every other time you've asked me, the answer is no."

"So what are you going as then?"

Her lips pulled up into a wicked smirk as she turned to Bickslow once again. "I would say you'll just have to wait and see, but you can't actually come to the guild party at all now because you have Scarlett and everyone thinks you're out with your team," she teased, watching as Bickslow's face slowly fell when he realised she was right. "So it looks like you just won't be finding out what I'm going as this year."

"And the fact that I can't even go this year is exactly why you should tell me what you're going as," he responded with his own smirk. "I won't actually see you, so I'll just have to let my imagination do the work this year. Either way, you're gonna be sexy as hell, so you should just tell me." He paused just long enough to see her face flush ever so slightly as she looked back down to Scarlett, and then he whispered just loud enough for her to hear, "Give me something to think about at night, Cosplayer."

"That's precisely why I am not going to be telling you what I will be going as," she insisted, doing her best not to shudder at what _she_ pictured Bickslow imagining. Lucy couldn't understand what went through Bickslow's head at the best of times, but when it came to her Halloween outfit for that year… Yeah, that was one thing she wanted to keep out of his head. The fact that he could be imagining her in any number of skimpy costumes was just a little disturbing, though also expected. And to think the man was a father.

She shook her head when she looked back down to Scarlett, and she reached out quickly to poke her tiny nose before she said, "Your father is a very, very strange person, Scarlett. I will truly be amazed if he finds someone willing to put up with him or maybe even fall in love with him, and god forbid actually marry him."

"Ouch, Cosplayer. I have feelings, you know," he muttered, only to lift the knife from the board in front of him and point it in her direction. "And I'll have you know that someone is bound to find my boyish charm attractive… Eventually."

"There's nothing boyish, charming, or attractive about being a pervert, even if it is just a little entertaining at times."

"Ah, says the woman who was technically supposed to marry this pervert. Besides, you do realise half the guys in the guild are actually worse than me, right? You don't even wanna know some of the things I've heard Macao and Wakaba say about you in particular."

She grimaced as a slight shiver ran down her spine. She could deal with what Bickslow said, and what Loke said, and what a few others said… But she didn't think she could deal with Macao and Wakaba. The fact the two were married and had wives (and children!) honestly just frightened her just as much as the reminder that the guild was truly filled with people who had mouths far worse than Bickslow. He was surprisingly tame compared to some. Not a lot, but some.

But he did have a point. She was technically supposed to have married him. Of course, he only knew that because she'd told him, and she was almost beginning to regret it. The guy just couldn't drop it either, it seemed. "No offence Bickslow, but there is no way in hell I would ever marry you _by choice_."

"Not at all?" She shook her head, and then he asked, "What if asked you really nicely? Pretty please with cherries on top?"

"Strawberries are better than cherries. But no, never," she smirked.

He sighed as he looked back down to the chopping board and went back to dicing up a tomato. "So you're still set on not finding the entire single dad thing attractive?" he asked as the mischievous grin remained in place.

"I am, but…"

"Oh? There's a but now?"

Her eyes shifted down when she felt the heat flare up on her cheeks yet again – something she was finding happening more and more with Bickslow – and she shuffled uncomfortably where she sat. Lucy wasn't even sure why the thought had crossed her mind, and granted, it had been there since the previous day when she'd even brought it up when they were baby shopping, but she was silently cursing herself for adding that damn _but_.

Steeling herself and keeping her eyes on Bickslow's daughter in front of her, Lucy shrugged and she mumbled, "But if I ever was to date or be with anyone who did have a child, it would probably be you." She paused and cleared her throat before she continued a little louder, her perfectly shaped brows drawing together in the centre. "Not that I ever would, of course. But hypothetically. I mean, you're… Well, you're you, I suppose, and I know that you're not all about hitting on people and you actually are a decent and caring person, because if you weren't, you wouldn't have decided to raise your daughter."

"… Hypothetically."

"Hypothetically," she mumbled again as she nodded. "But nothing would ever happen between us like that, and you know that. I just… I wanted to say that if I did ever find it… attractive… Then it would be because of you."

Bickslow blinked at her. Sure, things never could happen between them, and he was well aware of that – between Laxus and then the two of them just never being able to have those sorts of feelings for each other – but he couldn't help but wonder just why she was saying it. He'd only meant it as a joke when he'd asked, just like he'd been joking when he'd asked if she was one of those people who did find the entire single father thing just a little attractive (for whatever reason – he didn't understand it).

She shrugged when her gaze flicked to the side and she saw Bickslow looking at her, the knife just held in his hand and above the board. "But, you know… I'm sure you'll find someone to actually settle down with when Scarlett's a little older, and when you even want, that is. Someone really is bound to like that _boyish charm_ of yours… Not that I would ever call it that," she mumbled.

He was suddenly pulled from his daze and a wide grin split his mouth once again when he looked back down to the board and began dicing up ingredients again. "So what would you call it then?" he asked.

"I don't know. Maybe… _Bickslow charm_ ," she mused, a quiet laugh escaping her when she realised how absurd it sounded.

" _Bickslow_ _charm_ , huh?"

Lucy shrugged as she looked back to Bickslow again with a smile dancing over her lips. "Like I said, you're one of a kind, so I really don't think you could ever be compared to anything or anyone, or even any of the usual traits," she explained. " _Bickslow_ _charm_ … It would really just be all that makes you who you are."

"So… Immature, arrogant, obnoxious, egotistical, stubborn, player…"

"… Smart, caring, selfless—"

"I'm not selfless," he interrupted.

Lucy smiled as she shook her head. "You are, because you're putting your daughter before you, and you will be for the rest of your life, because that's what it means to be a parent." She slowly pushed herself up from the ground as Bickslow only stared at her with a frown. Standing before him in the kitchen, she lifted a hand just to gently press her finger against the centre of his chest, and she said, "I've known you for a while Bickslow, and even though there are plenty of things I don't know about you, you're still – strangely – one of my closest friends. And what I do know about you is that you are a good person, and you have far more good qualities about you than you do bad ones."

Lucy meant that too, and if someone had told her when she'd first met Bickslow that he really would, surprisingly, become one of her closest friends, then she quite literally would have told them to _get the fuck out._ Sure, the majority of their conversations over the years had been Bickslow hitting on her (though never really meaning it) and telling her the vilest and most repulsive jokes he could come up with. But occasionally, and especially in the last year alone, they'd had some actual conversations. They were rare, but they'd happened.

On most days though, she still really did hate the jokes and all of that, but she put up with it just because she liked Bickslow. Not in a way that she would ever really consider dating him or anything like that, but as one of her friends. And as one of _his_ friends, Lucy felt like she knew him surprisingly well, even if there really were probably a million things she didn't know about the mostly elusive Seith mage.

What she really did know about him though was that he truly was a good person. And yeah, he had his moments where his ego got a bit out of hand and he turned into an arrogant jerk, but all of those negative traits weren't really what made Bickslow who he was. They were there, and to an extent, they did shape him, but they weren't what was important. It was everything else.

Coming from the kind of family he had, Lucy knew for certain he was a whole lot smarter than he actually looked. He was caring, kind, more selfless than selfish, surprisingly and genuinely charming when he wanted to be, energetic, playful, and then a million other things as well. Even if most people didn't quite understand how he had so much fun with absolutely everything, the point was that he did. He had the ability to make any situation entertaining for himself, and if he put himself up to it, he could for others too. The amount of times he'd cheered her up with his stupid jokes when she'd been depressed in the guild about losing the reward on another job or just having one of those days had been far too many, and definitely more than she'd ever told Bickslow.

He was the guild's prankster and pervert, but that was who he was, and that's what made it _his_ charm. Lucy would be lying if she said she didn't like it just a little bit, just because it was Bickslow and unique.

"But you know I never used to be a good person," he murmured, his frown still etched over his mouth. "You know that better than a lot of people."

"You're not that person anymore though, and I know that. Just like I know that you're exactly who you want to be and no one can ever change that. You said so yourself," she said softly. "And… I know I've said a million times that I really would love for you to stop with the stupid jokes and calling me Cosplayer and everything else, really…"

The corner of his mouth lifted up into a small smirk as he said, "You know that's never gonna happen."

She sighed quietly. "I do know that, and as much as you annoy me and make me question my choice in friends a lot of the time, I put up with it all because I like you – as a friend, of course – and I know that it's who you are and what you do," she continued. Then, as her eyes shifted to the side slightly, she mumbled, "Plus I do kind of like your own brand of charm, if I were to be completely honest. Just because it's what makes you who you are. And… I'm probably never going to say this again, but I am glad you're my friend."

Bickslow looked down to the blonde for just another moment before a wide grin split his lips, and he stepped back from the counter just to open his arms. "Come on, Cosplayer. Bring it in. You know I give the best hugs in the entire guild."

Lucy only rolled her eyes before she stepped forward in defeat, only for Bickslow's strong arms to instantly encircle her and pull her in tightly against a chest as a squeal of surprise left her. Okay, so she might have only hugged Bickslow once or twice before, but she did have to admit, he quite possibly was the best hugger in the entire guild – that she knew of. That didn't stop her from wishing it wasn't happening though.

"Bix, you mind letting me go now?" she mumbled with the side of her face pressed against the top of his chest.

"Nuh-uh," he chuckled, his chin resting against the top of her head. "Not until you tell me you love me."

"Not gonna happen."

"Don't worry. I already know you do, and I love you too, Cosplayer," he laughed again, and he was sure he only got an eye roll as a response from the blonde. Of course, he didn't actually love her in _that_ kind of way, but he did love her. As a friend, and only as a friend. She was as much a part of his family as his team and Gajeel (and technically Levy) were, because they were all the ones he was closest to. Just because he really only tried to make her laugh, he still did care about her, and it wasn't all about pissing her off.

She was one of his closest friends, just like he was to her, and he loved all of his friends. The only difference was that he didn't strictly tell anyone else he loved them – Gajeel and Laxus he pranked or drove them to the edge of wanting to murder him, Evergreen he pissed off then made up for by being an awesome brother and best friend, and Freed he just… Well, Freed he just gave him his peace and quiet when he wanted it and left him alone. Lucy though, he'd told on a few occasions he loved her. Just as a joke, and never ever when Laxus was around.

But with everything Lucy had already done in the last couple of days alone, and with what she'd just said, Bickslow needed to say it, because he did love her. More so because of what she was doing for him _and_ his daughter. Bickslow was going to be eternally grateful for that. Not even giving himself much of a chance to think about it though, he ducked his head to quickly kiss the top of her head, and he said, "Thank you though. For everything, and for what you said. I kind of needed to hear that."

"That's what friends are for," she said softly with a small smile he couldn't see. "But if you don't let go of me soon, I'm going to have to hurt you…"

"You seem to forget I'm like twice your size."

She lifted her head as best she could to shoot Bickslow a dark look that only seemed to make him laugh even more. "And you seem to forget that I've still kicked your butt more than once," she retorted.

Bickslow suddenly blanched when he remembered that the blonde he still had his arms tightly wrapped around – a fact he was quickly realising was just a little weird – was feisty with a fierce kick. One that hurt. A lot. He knew that all too well. Suddenly, he was only grinning apologetically as he stepped back and lifted his hands in surrender. "I never forgot. Trust me."

"Sure you didn't," she giggled, slowly turning and walking back from the counter as Bickslow went back to getting everything ready, only glancing in her direction every now and then as she talked and made faces at Scarlett.

Even though Bickslow knew he shouldn't be, Bickslow was beginning to wish that he could spend more mornings like that. Don't get him wrong though, because he really did enjoy his solitude and it was precisely why he only _talked_ to a handful of people. It was just that he was really enjoying the company Lucy had given him over the last few days when he'd been dealing with everything – finding out he was a father and having to turn his life upside down to actually become one.

Bickslow genuinely liked actually spending time with Lucy, even if it was only because he needed help and she was willing to offer it. He didn't really care all that much that he was still having to behave – for the most part – around her, because it was almost far too easy to just talk to her and not make it all about hitting on her or trying to make her laugh or want to hit him.

And even when Bickslow knew he would never really be without someone there, because he'd have Scarlett with him and he'd never be alone in his house again, he still liked Lucy's company.

* * *

"You know what?" Lucy asked as she followed Bickslow to the sink with her dishes in her hands. "I think I'm going to have to start coming over here for breakfast every day."

Of course, she only really meant it as a joke, but there was a part of her that would love to have Bickslow cook for her every morning, or just all the time in general. She had most of her meals at the guild, because that was where she spent the majority of her days, and it wasn't really like Mira and Kinana weren't amazing, because they were. It was just that Bickslow was surprisingly good in the kitchen. Far better than she was, at least.

Lucy didn't even care that she was sure she'd made some noises that she shouldn't have when eating a goddamn breakfast omelette; it had just been that good. Of course, Bickslow could only find the whole thing entertaining, because he'd never had someone react to his cooking quite like Lucy had. Then again, he'd only ever cooked for his team and even then it hadn't been very often because Freed was the one who had usually done all of it. The Runes mage was the one with the talent for the culinary art; Bickslow just happened to enjoy it.

But if Lucy enjoyed it so much she'd want to come over every day? Yeah, Bickslow would have no problems with that whatsoever, even if he knew that she didn't really mean it. "I wouldn't stop you if you really wanted to," he chuckled as he rinsed his plate, then took Lucy's from her to clean it off quickly.

"Well, how about for the next two weeks, until your team gets back because I'm sure you'll be fine with everything by then anyway," Lucy began slowly. "I still come back every day, and you make breakfast every morning I'm here. I mean, if you want to, of course."

"I don't mind doing it."

Lucy nodded. "Okay, but… You can't cook the same thing more than once. And that goes for everything else, like lunch and dinner and whatnot. You know, assuming I'm here and not in the guild to make sure everyone doesn't think I'm dead or something." She could only ever go a few days without showing up before her team in particular started thinking about sending out search parties. She had no plans of going to the guild that afternoon, but maybe tomorrow. Just for a little while to see if her team had caused the guild to blow up again or something.

"Deal." He didn't need to think about it at all. He could easily go the next two weeks with no repeated dishes. Well, it would be just a little difficult because he usually stuck to the same kind of foods and meals, but he could do it, and he'd have fun with it.

The only thing he wouldn't have fun with, however, was knowing that it would only be for two weeks. Sure, Bickslow could see himself being a lot more confident when it came to looking after his daughter by the end of those two weeks because of all that Lucy would have helped him learn (with the aid of a million parenting books that were still sitting in some of the bags around his living room), but he could also see himself not wanting Lucy to leave, because even then, he didn't really want her to. And it was just a little strange if he thought about it, because he knew she wouldn't really be leaving – she'd still be his friend and she'd still be there in the guild. She just wouldn't be there… With him.

That, Bickslow didn't even want to think about it. He didn't want to think about how he wanted Lucy to stay so he could spend time with her because it was weird, even by his standards.

But if things would be going back to normal in two weeks, then that would be fine. Bickslow knew he'd be fine, because if anything, he'd be too busy and tried to even worry about the possibility of even missing Lucy's company. Until things went back to normal though, he could enjoy those two weeks, and the challenge she'd given him. "But does that include what we had yesterday, or do those not count yet?" he asked as he dried his hands on a towel.

Lucy hummed in thought for a moment before she answered, "Yesterday counts, so you can't make what he had yesterday."

"Easy."

"If you so say," she smirked. "Now… Have you decided on a colour for her nursery?" she asked, changing the subject quickly. Along with all of the things they'd bought the day before, Bickslow had needed to buy paint for Scarlett's nursery. Of course, he hadn't been able to decide on a colour at the time, so there were currently more than half a dozen tins of paint in various colours – a few purple, one pink, one yellow, and a very dark grey. That one Lucy didn't quite understand, but she wasn't going to question it.

Bickslow nodded. "I like the dark purple." All of the furniture that would be going in there was white anyway, so he could get away with dark walls. It didn't help that he just really happened to like the colour purple.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yup."

Lucy nodded then, and she looked over to Scarlett who has resting peacefully – if she wasn't already asleep – in her rocker after having Lucy entertain her while Bickslow cooked breakfast. "So should we go and do that now?" She looked back to Bickslow who was pulling at the blue roll of tape he'd taken from one bag on the table, then said, "Since Scarlett will hopefully be asleep for a few hours, we'll be able to get at least some of it painted now, and then the rest later today depending on how long it takes us, and then it will have time to dry before we do the next coat."

"Sounds good," Bickslow said with a shrug just as he dropped the tape back into the bag before putting one of the babies' souls into the bag itself, having noticed them coming back as they were eating breakfast. He still had no idea where they'd been, and he didn't think he'd ever know. All they'd said was that they'd had fun, and that, Bickslow didn't doubt.

With one soul in the bag with the tape, rollers and brushes, another two in the tins of paint and then another in the paper from that morning that he would never ever read, Bickslow went over to where Lucy was standing in front of Scarlett in the living and bent down to gently scoop her up into his arms just to put the last of his babies' souls into the rocker itself. Lucy's mouth twisted slightly when they all lifted up from the ground or the surfaces they were on and hovered just above the ground, and she looked back to Bickslow who was only grinning back at her.

"Was that really necessary?" she asked.

"It was," he chuckled lightly. "Why carry things when they can do it themselves?" What could he say? He was surprisingly lazy.

He didn't give Lucy a chance to even roll her eyes (though he reasoned she probably did, he just didn't see it) before he turned on his heels to head towards the hall and the stairs right next to them. With the babies in their new bodies and Lucy only watching curiously as the odd things slowly followed Bickslow up the stairs, Lucy soon followed when she was sure she wasn't going to get hit in the head by a floating paint tin.

Coming up the stairs, Bickslow went straight down the end of the short hall, passing his old room, then Evergreen's room, and the bathroom. His old room wasn't going to work as Scarlett's nursery, just because it still had some of his furniture in it. He'd bought a new bedroom suite when he'd moved downstairs into the master bedroom, and he just hadn't been bothered to get rid of the rest of his stuff like his old bed and drawers. Evergreen's room was at the front and above the kitchen technically, and she had always complained about the noise from downstairs travelling through the floors, so that obviously wasn't an option either. So that left Freed's room, but that worked out because Freed's old room was the biggest bedroom upstairs, and being at the back of the house, it was quieter being directly above his own room. The window on the back wall was almost wall height, and it had a much nicer view of the small yard and the park behind his house, rather than that of the street and the houses opposite. It also just happened to be the cleanest room in the entire house. The only problem with Freed's room was that it had green walls, and Bickslow really didn't want green walls in his daughter's nursery. If she happened to grow up and want green walls, then she could have green walls then – they'd just repaint it. Until she did grow up and could make her own choices for the colour of her walls, it would be up to him.

His house, his purple walls.

Opening the door to Freed's room, he let all of the things they'd need to actually paint the room go into the room, and the rocker slowly lowered itself to the ground in front of a small reading area in an alcove at the end of the hall – an area Freed had commandeered, given it was next to his room – before he gently placed Scarlett back in it. Bickslow was sure it was a terrible idea to have her in the actual room while they painted, but part of him also believed leaving her downstairs where they wouldn't really be able to hear her was just as bad an idea. Hopefully, the hall would be okay. At least that way he'd hear her if she cried and he'd be able to check in on her from time to time.

"So whose room was this?" Lucy asked as she went in right after Bickslow.

"Freed's."

Lucy walked over to the window to look down to the small yard at the back of the house. From the second floor, she could just see into the small park at the back of the house. _That'll be good for Scarlett when she's older_ , she thought with a smile, and she turned back to Bickslow with her arms folded. "Have you dusted the walls at all?"

Bickslow nodded as he pried the top of the paint can off from where he was crouching down in the centre of the room. "I did all of that around two o'clock this morning, actually," he answered. Dusted, washed, fucking _vacuumed_. He'd done it all just because he hadn't been able to sleep and Scarlett had been taking her sweet time falling asleep. Picking up the roll of blue tape from in front of him, he held it out to Lucy and said, "Hey, can you start putting this around the skirting boards?"

As Lucy began to do that, starting by the door, Bickslow reached for the newspaper to begin taking sheets and lay them on the floor against the walls to avoid getting dark purple paint splatters over the floorboards. It was only when he got up and turned around though to begin on the opposite side of the door – that was behind him as he faced the windows – did he stop and almost freeze in place. Bickslow was sure he should move, or at least tear his eyes way from what he was staring at, but he really couldn't.

Not when Lucy was leaning forward as she knelt on the ground, and definitely not when she was leaning forward so her ass was basically up in the air. Bickslow almost didn't want to look away, because damn it, the woman had a nice ass. Bickslow was sure she had a nice everything, but her ass? Yeah, he could stare at that all fucking day, no matter what she was wearing. Bickslow almost wondered just why Laxus had wanted to break up with her, just because he couldn't understand how anyone would ever want to give up _that_.

"Bickslow, quit staring at my ass."

He blinked as her annoyed voice brought him from his thoughts of what he'd do with her, assuming he could do anything to begin with, and he finally tore his gaze from the tight denim fabric that stretched over her behind, past the sliver of silky flesh between the waistband of her light jeans and the shirt was tied in a knot at the back of her waist… and up to the pointed glare she was suddenly shooting over her shoulder.

 _Whoops._ He could only do his best to ignore the babies giggling in his head again over being caught (again) before he cleared his throat and quickly went over to the opposite side of the slightly open door and began laying the sheets of paper on the floor. "I-I wasn't staring at your ass," he lied. Obviously. He rarely got caught actually checking someone out, but then again, he was usually in the guild and wearing his visor when he did so, so people could never tell where he was looking. Lucy specifically could never tell where he was looking, because he'd be lying again he if he said he didn't spend half of his time in the guild looking at her. He couldn't help it though.

"Yeah? So what _were_ you staring at?"

"Uh…" _Your back? My shirt on your back? Your… Damn it._ _I just **had** to get caught staring at her ass._ "Okay, fine," he began slowly, only glancing past the door that was ajar as he shrugged. "I was staring at your ass, but in my defence, you have a _really_ nice ass, and it's kind of hard _not_ to stare at it."

Lucy pursed her lips as she slowly moved along the wall on her knees to run the tape along the edges. "Remember my conditions, Bickslow?"

 _Ah, right… Those…_ "No hitting on you unless it's in good taste. I remember," he mumbled.

"No hitting on me _at all_ ," she corrected. Good taste didn't exist with Bickslow, and what he'd said was definitely not in good taste, even if it was strangely flattering. She really shouldn't find it flattering in the slightest, but she did.

"Right. But… How did you even know I was looking anyway?"

She shrugged as she glanced back over her shoulder as she reached the opposite corner to Bickslow, and the corner of her mouth lifted up into a small smirk as she said, "Because you always are." Despite being blonde, Lucy was far from stupid. She'd figured out Bickslow tended to look at her assets rather than her face a lot of the time – especially when she was walking away – a long time ago. Was it a little weird? Definitely. But Lucy knew it was just as weird that she didn't actually tell him she knew, just like it was weird that she did kind of enjoy it.

At least _someone_ was looking at her.

"You have no proof," Bickslow said quickly.

"You aren't denying it."

"I… Might just happen to look in your general direction occasionally…" The words only barely made it past his lips as he made a point of keeping his head down, just because he was sure he was actually blushing. _Blushing_. The fact that Lucy seemed to have noticed it had him on edge just a little bit. He'd been so sure she'd never noticed. Clearing his throat just in an attempt to dislodge the damn lump in it, he continued just as slowly and just loud enough for her to hear clearly, "And I might just happen to notice that you… That you're uh… Quite attractive." _Oh dear god… What are these damn words coming out of my fucking mouth?_ "Very much so, actually… And uh… I might just happen to look a little longer than I should…"

Lucy couldn't contain her quiet laughter for very long as her face became just as flushed as Bickslow's. "I think this is quite possibly the funniest thing I'm going to hear all day," she giggled as she slowly continued to mask the walls with the blue tape. The words coming from Bickslow's mouth… They were amazing to say the least, just because they sounded so _wrong_.

It wasn't so much what he was saying though; it was the way he was saying it because that was not how Bickslow spoke. At all. She knew what it was about too. It was because he was trying to behave, but just hearing him, Lucy almost wanted him to have an outburst again.

"Shut up," he grumbled as he shot a quick look over his own shoulder before dropping another sheet of paper. "But how the fuck do you know anyway?"

Lucy shrugged as she looked to the side when they were on the same wall again. "You tend to notice when someone looks at you a certain way," she said quietly. Then, as she taped the last part of the last wall, she quickly mumbled, "Like the way you look at me… Even though I guess it's not with the most honourable of intentions..."

 _Like wha—never mind._ Bickslow didn't even want to ask that question of himself, because he didn't even want to _think_ about looking at her a certain way, whatever the hell that meant. As the babies began to giggle in his head yet again, Bickslow cleared his throat as he dropped the rest of the paper back in the middle of the room where he had one of the souls in a paint stirrer and he bent down just to pick up one of the paintbrushes.

"So uh… How about you start on that wall," Bickslow pointed to the wall with the door back into the hall as he held out the brush to Lucy. Picking up the short-handled roller, he cleared his throat again and said, "And I'll start this wall." It would put them on opposite sides of the room, with their backs facing each other, leaving no opportunities for him to look at her ass and for her to catch him doing so. Again.

So quietly, they went to their designated walls and started painting them in the dark shade of purple they each held in trays (well, Lucy was holding hers in one hand and dabbing the paintbrush in it when she needed to; Bickslow had one of his souls in his, letting it hover at the perfect height for him to roll some more paint onto it whenever necessary). They worked in silence mostly, only talking about random things every now and then to ease the silence as they worked. Lucy used the brush to do the edges against the doorframe and the skirting boards and the corners, and Bickslow used a roller to get most of the wall itself covered.

It was only when Bickslow came back upstairs after going downstairs to sign for the nursery furniture when it got delivered did Bickslow finally notice that the walls Lucy had been doing were still half green. Not just a little bit green, but everything above Bickslow's head was still the same shade of green that Freed had on the walls. He couldn't help but laugh at it too, because he was only just noticing just how short she was. Of course, the walls he'd been doing weren't much better – the only difference was that he'd just yet to do the very tops, but he'd been planning on going back with the brush to get those once he had the rest of the walls mostly covered, and that point, he did.

Apart from the wall Lucy had been doing when she'd moved from the brush to a roller, because she couldn't reach.

"You're really short," he chuckled as he stood just behind her with his arms folded, watching as she stood on her tiptoes to try and roll the paint up just a little bit higher.

"Shut up," she huffed. "Not everyone is as tall as you or Laxus."

Bickslow shrugged. "Fair point. Want some help though?"

"Please," she sighed as she turned from the wall and held the paint-covered roller out to him, only to see the mischievous grin on his lips instead. He shook his head just as the five totems flew into the room from the hall and lined up just by Lucy's feet, and she looked down in shock before back up to Bickslow. "No. I'm not standing on them."

"Why not? They'll get you up higher so you can reach the top of the wall and actually finish around the door," Bickslow explained.

Lucy gently dropped the roller to the tray by her feet and folded her own arms across her chest. "Because I don't want to lose my balance and fall."

"You wouldn't fall. They wouldn't let you do that." He looked down to the babies who were still in their line formation, waiting for the blonde to step up onto them, and he said, "Ain't that right, babies?"

"Right! Right!" they chirped.

"See? You'll be fine."

Lucy looked back down to the floating totems with a frown etched on her face. It wasn't that she had a fear of heights or anything, because she'd flown over Magnolia with a damn cat holding her. It was just that standing on things that were small enough to sit in the palms of her hands was just a little unnerving.

But… She'd only be a foot or two off the ground, so even if she did happen to lose her balance and fall backwards or anything, she wouldn't have very far to go before she hit the ground, and hopefully, it wouldn't hurt _that_ much. At least she hoped it wouldn't. But if she did fall, she could blame Bickslow if she got hurt, because if he'd just bought the damn rollers with the longer handles or he had a ladder, she wouldn't have only painted half of the wall. Better yet, if she'd just done what she couldn't reach (even though she knew that not even he could reach the very top of the walls, but he was obviously much more at ease standing on even just one of the babies to paint that), she wouldn't have to use them as a platform.

With a sigh, she dropped her arms and looked back up to Bickslow, then said, "Fine. But if I fall, I'm blaming you, not them."

He laughed quietly as he rolled his eyes. "You're not gonna fall," he insisted. "If it makes you feel better, I will even stand behind you to catch you if you do."

"You better," she muttered.

Bickslow watched in amusement as Lucy cautiously stepped up onto his babies and she steadied herself with one hand on the doorframe as she adjusted her footing, making sure she was comfortable on the makeshift platform and just a little confident she wouldn't fall. She really didn't want to have Bickslow _have_ to stop her from falling, especially when she wasn't going to be very far from the ground as it was.

Bickslow let her have a few moments to get used to her new height – something she found quite odd, given that her head was now just a tiny bit higher than the top of the door and she could actually look down at Bickslow, and that was saying something considering the man was almost the same height as Laxus – before he picked up the blue tape again and handed it to her, just so she could actually put it around the rest of the doorframe before she started painting again.

It was only when Lucy was finally finishing painting around the door and Bickslow was turning to pick up the roller from another tray in the centre of the room to hand it to her so she could start on the top section of the wall she hadn't been able to reach did he begin to tune in to the incessant and frankly terrifying giggling and plotting of his babies in his head, and his eyes narrowed as he listened to them all to try and figure out what was going on.

 _"How good do you think Cosplayer's balance is?"_ Pappa asked.

Bickslow's eyes went wide as he looked back over his shoulder. _"Babies, no. Don't you dare."_ He was suddenly certain things were not going to end well.

 _"The better question is, do you think Bickslow will actually catch her?"_ Puppu added.

Pippi's laugh rang out over the rest of them. _"Of course he will. She's his cosplayer."_

 _"If I have to catch her, you're all—"_ Bickslow couldn't even get out that he would _ground_ them before his own thought was drowned out by their ever growing laughter. And then, just as they apparently decided to rotate themselves all at once to have Lucy lose her footing on them, Bickslow was quickly behind the blonde just as she was about to fall flat on her ass on the hardwood floor and caught her while letting the wooden dolls his babies were in fall to the floor.

When Lucy realised that she was about to actually fall – regardless of the fact it was only a foot and a half – from the babies, her eyes went wide and she couldn't help but drop the paintbrush in her hand, letting it fall to the paper covered floor directly beneath her. She was sure she let out some sort of squeal when she realised that she was slipping as the babies turned backwards, but she didn't even really care. She was either going to land flat on her ass or on her back, because there just hadn't been enough time for her to just try and step or jump down from them.

But then she didn't hit the floor. Instead she hit what she had quickly realised was Bickslow's chest as his arms almost instantly encircled her. Except, in the split second it took to realise that Bickslow had caught her, like he said he would if she were to fall, she also realised that he wasn't bringing her back upright or keeping her upright like she thought he would. Because they were going backwards. Together.

And then Bickslow landed on his back with a thud on the floor with his arms still around Lucy. It was surprising, honestly, because Bickslow rarely lost his balance. But when Lucy had been falling at a very odd angle… He just hadn't been able to right himself from getting behind her just so he could catch her. The only upside was that he hadn't landed on any trays with dark purple paint in them or anything else of the sort. Next to them, but not on them.

Lucy blinked as she slowly came to realise just how they'd ended up, and a heat amassed on her face when she looked out the corner of her eyes just to see Bickslow's face right next to and level with her own, staring up at the ceiling above them and blinking slowly. His arms were still around her waist, she noticed, practically keeping her pinned to him with her back to his chest and sprawled out on top of him, with her legs falling over and between his own and her arms falling to either side of her.

It wasn't exactly a position she wanted to be in, that was for sure. But… She figured it was a whole lot better than her being on the floor. At least Bickslow was a little softer – and a hell of a lot warmer – than the floor, and he was a lot more built than she obviously was so it probably didn't hurt him in the slightest. But she wasn't going to think about how it was strangely comfortable.

Not at all.

She cleared her throat just as she turned her head slightly to the side to face Bickslow. "So… I fell," she stated.

The corner of his mouth lifted up into a smirk. "And I still caught you."

"But then you fell... And I kind of fell on top of you… Because of your babies..."

"Yeah, sorry about that," he mumbled sheepishly. "That wasn't me. That was them being… I don't know. Stupid. Testing my reflexes or something because they can."

"So they purposely made me fall, just so you would catch me?"

Bickslow shrugged from beneath Lucy. "I told them not to do it if it's any consolation."

Lucy looked back up to the ceiling as she let out a quiet laugh – one that Bickslow felt when he failed to notice where his arms still were. "Not really," she said softly as she gently tilted her head to rest on the floor over Bickslow's shoulder, her eyes focusing on the mostly painted wall behind them. "But… Maybe we should get up and finish painting."

 _Oh. Right. We were painting._ "That sounds like a good idea."

But then… Neither moved. Or more specifically, Bickslow didn't move, and he had still yet to realise he was still holding her, and Lucy didn't exactly like that, because now it was just getting a little weird. "Uh… Bix? You mind uh… Letting go of me so I can actually get off you?"

"Huh?" Bickslow only turned his head to blink at her as his brows drew together in his confusion, and then he suddenly lifted his head to look down to where his arms were wrapped around her waist with his hands on either side. Almost instantly though upon realising that he was the sole reason she was still on top of him, he let go of her, his arms going to the side and leaving her free to roll to the side and onto the ground with another laugh.

 _"Didn't want to let go, huh?"_ Poppo giggled in his head as they both picked themselves up from the ground. Separately. He'd only forced them all out of their bodies, which meant they were still able to annoy the hell out of him, and that was something he was quickly growing frustrated with that day. It was like they were trying to make things weirder than they already were.

 _"Shut up,"_ he silently grumbled.

 _"But you kept your cosplayer safe from the ground,"_ Puppu argued.

 _"You protected her like the valiant knight you are!"_ Pippi added.

Their non-stop laughter only grew louder in his head again as a scowl set on his face. Bickslow was honestly glad that only he was hearing the absurdities coming from the babies, and Lucy was none the wiser to it. He was sure she'd be out the door faster than he could apologise on behalf of them if she'd heard even half of it.

Doing his best to ignore the chaos in his head as he usually did, he turned his attention back to Lucy who was once again by the wall she'd been working on before. She was just standing there with her arms folded and looking up to space right above the door she hadn't had a chance to finish with the brush before the babies had decided to test her balance. They were back to not having any way to get the tops of the walls done, and Bickslow was back to not actually wanting to do it for her. It wasn't exactly like he could reach that high either and he definitely wouldn't be able to paint right above the door unless he was standing on the babies (just so he could see what he was doing – he could actually reach it), but he didn't trust them right then, and he sure as hell didn't think Lucy did.

But after watching Lucy stand on her tiptoes for the millionth time just to try and reach the small gaps at the side and very top of the door (failing dismally, of course, because she was short), Bickslow came up with a plan. Granted, it wasn't exactly the smartest plan, but it was a plan nonetheless, and it would prove to be just a little entertaining.

Stepping forward quickly and silently as Lucy kept her eyes trained on the patches of green that had yet to be covered in their first coat of purple paint with one hand on her hip, Bickslow crouched down just enough to pick her up from the ground with his arms wrapping around her the tops of her thighs. Lucy let out a squeak of surprise when she felt herself being lifted from the ground, and in an attempt to grab onto something for stability, she dropped the paintbrush in her hand again as she scrambled to reach for something to grab. Apparently Bickslow's shoulders and tops of his arms were the best option for that.

Turning her head to look down behind her, she saw the playful look on his face as he craned his head back just to look back up at her. "B-Bickslow!" she almost shrieked. "What the hell are you doing? Put me down!"

He shook his head. "Nope. Paint." He gestured to the wall with a tip of his head as he put two of the babies' souls into the brush and one of the trays filled with paint, and they both slowly rose up to be on either side of Lucy. At the look of absolute horror on her face, Bickslow said, "I won't let you fall, because I could probably stand here all day like this, so I won't drop you. But at least this way, you can reach the top of the wall. So… Paint."

"I question what goes through your head sometimes."

Bickslow grinned. "So do I."

And so they painted like that for a while after she gave in to the crazy idea, with Lucy being held up above the ground by Bickslow and a permanently red face, and his forehead gently resting against her back just so he wasn't having to keep his head back and so he could avoid the strain on his neck. It was bad enough standing there and holding Lucy up was actually beginning to hurt his back the longer he stood there, just because of the way he was standing.

After what was probably only a few long minutes where Lucy finished up painting just around the doorframe, Bickslow gently lowered her to her feet. "Alright. New plan," he said as Lucy turned back around to raise an eyebrow at him. Lowering himself to the ground much to her confusion, Bickslow sat back on his heels with his knees on the ground. "Shoulders instead." He didn't know why he hadn't thought of that in the first place (aside from thinking to buy rollers with longer handles or a ladder, or even just a stepping stool, but that was irrelevant then), because it would be much easier that way. He really could stand (or kneel) like that all day if she was on his shoulders.

"Are you serious?" she asked, still slightly confused by the new plan.

Bickslow nodded. "Very. Now come on. It will be easier like this."

Of course, realising that Bickslow really was very serious, Lucy hesitantly walked around Bickslow. She placed her palm over Bickslow's as he held it out to her to support herself, and doing the best she could, she hooked one leg over his shoulder, and then the other. Just as her hands instantly sought out something to hold on to stop herself from falling backwards, Bickslow reached up to steady her with his hands going to the back of her waist.

Bickslow did his best to tilt his head back to look up to her, despite her small hands pulling rather hard on his hair. "You know, contrary to popular belief, I'm not a fan of hair pulling," he muttered as he slowly straightened up, remaining on his knees just because if he stood, she'd hit her head and he didn't want that.

"You… Huh?" Lucy blinked as she looked down, and it was only when she noticed the flash of pain across his face when she involuntarily tightened her grip on his hair when he slowly sat up did she understand. Quickly, she realised how tightly her fingers were threaded through the thick strands of sapphire hair, and she left out a nervous laugh as she dropped her hands to sit over her thighs. "Sorry. I didn't realise."

"Don't worry about it," Bickslow said. "Now, is this better?"

Lucy nodded as she wrapped her hand around the handle for the paint roller as it hovered up to her level with the tray. She leant forward so Bickslow's head was pressing against her abdomen and reached out to begin rolling the dark paint onto the still half green wall, and said, "I'm fine like this as long as you are." The height was fine, and as his hands only moved to rest against the top of her thighs over his shoulders, she realised it was probably the safest option of them all. Bickslow realised he'd have to sit on the babies at some point, but that was still fine.

… Apart from having a ladder. A ladder really would have been great, but Bickslow would have to do. Not that she really minded, of course. Strangely.

"Well, I'm fine with it," Bickslow replied as he looked up just to watch her – of course, he couldn't quite stop himself from lifting his eyes just that little bit more to actually look up to Lucy. Or more importantly, how she was just leaning over his head.

"That's good then." He saw the smile on her lips when she briefly looked back down, and he reflexively grinned back. "But…" she continued then as she placed the roller back in the tray to get more paint on it. "I do just have one question."

"And that is?"

"If you can have the babies' souls in these, why aren't you getting _them_ to paint the parts we can't reach?"

Bickslow's brows drew together as he watched her idly roll the dark purple paint on the wall, and then he looked to the paint tray hovering just beside in front of him. He had to admit, he'd completely forgotten about doing that. It was a brilliant idea to say the least, and it would have saved a whole lot of awkwardness. He'd used the babies to do countless chores, enough so that they really did become a part of his daily life.

Sure, they really could have painted the room for them. Paper would still have to be put on the ground, and the door and window would still have to be taped around the edges so the frames and skirting boards and such wouldn't get covered in paint, but they still could have done it. It probably would have been done in half the time that it was taking them, too. It would have been more convenient.

But Bickslow had forgotten. Honest to god, it had completely slipped his mind, but part of him didn't even care. Sometimes it was more fun to do things himself, even if he wasn't really doing anything right then. He was still having fun though, because even when he was sure his babies were out to make his life a living hell and make things awkward when it came to Lucy being there to help with Scarlett, he was still having fun.

He wasn't exactly going to tell Lucy that the entire reason he'd forgotten what _his_ magic could do was because of her. If anything, he didn't really want to think about how it had even happened, because already – and especially on that day alone – he'd found himself with some very different and unexplainable thoughts in his head. All because of Lucy or about Lucy.

No, he definitely wasn't going to tell her that. Looking back up with his head pressed against her stomach and a sheepish grin on his face, he chuckled, "I might have forgotten, to be honest. But this is more fun anyway, right?"

Lucy sighed as another soft smile sat on her lips. Was it fun? Yeah, kinda. And like she always did, she'd ignore the weirdness and try to embrace the fun side of things like Bickslow always did. "Definitely more fun."

* * *

Lucy walked into the dark lounge room with her bag over her shoulder, ready to leave for the night. Their afternoon had been eventful, having finished doing the first coat of paint in the nursery with Lucy sitting on Bickslow's shoulders to do the rest of it. Bickslow had started putting together the nursery furniture in Evergreen's room, just so it would all be upstairs and they'd only have to move it across the hall, and Lucy had found out why he had the name Scout stuck in his head. Turns out his favourite book – and the one he had been reading for the millionth time – was _To Kill a Mockingbird,_ which was also one of Lucy's all-time favourites.

By that point of the night though, it was time to head home. Scarlett had been put to bed and she would hopefully stay that way for the next few hours, and like Bickslow's daughter was doing, Lucy wanted to go home and get some proper rest before she came back in the morning. Walking into the room, she found Bickslow sitting on the middle of the lounge with one knee up and his other foot tucked beneath him, and apparently deciding on a movie to watch for the night.

Bickslow looked up when he saw her shadow dance across the floor from the lights in his living area. "Leaving?" he asked, seeing her fiddle with her bag over her shoulder. She nodded, and Bickslow looked back down to folder sitting over his knee with all of his movies in it, just to hide his frown, if anything.

"It's getting kind of late, and there's not really anything I can help you with tonight so…"

Did he want her to leave? Not really. It was barely past eight o'clock, so it really wasn't that late. But she had a point that there wasn't anything else they could do. All Bickslow had left to do was finish painting the nursery, get the rest of the furniture assembled, and then move it in to the room once everything was dry and get it all decorated. All of that he could technically do on his own. As he thought about Lucy leaving for the night, he couldn't help but think about how things would go back to normal for them once his team got back. It was still two weeks away, but two weeks was a long time…

In two weeks, Bickslow knew he wouldn't really _need_ Lucy anymore. In just three days, Bickslow had realised that having a baby wasn't anywhere near as difficult as he'd thought when he'd found her on his doorstep. Bickslow knew that it wasn't always going to be easy though. It was only easy then because she slept so much, but once she got older, it would be a little different. But it still wouldn't be difficult, and he wouldn't need someone babysitting _him_. As Scarlett would grow, he would grow, and he'd learn and he'd be able to do it all on his own, because he'd need to do it on his own.

He didn't want to have to rely on everyone. He didn't want to have to _need_ other people to help him raise _his_ daughter. He wanted to be able to do it on his own, and look at her when she was older and think, _'Wow, I did a good job.'_ He wanted her to become someone amazing, and he wanted it to be because of what he'd done. Through all the hard times he knew would come, and through all the stress, and so many fucking tears (he realised they'd probably mostly be his, rather than his daughter's), he wanted to look at his daughter, see the amazing woman he knew she would become, and know it was because of him. He wanted it all to be worth it, even though he already knew it would be.

The only problem with all of that was that he _wanted_ to _need_ Lucy. He wanted her to stay, and not just for a little while longer that night, but beyond those two weeks until his team got back. He enjoyed having her around far too much, and he was almost willing to pretend to be more useless than he was just so she would have a reason to stay; so she would think he still needed her help.

Bickslow knew he couldn't do that though. He had to get her to stay because it was what she wanted to do. He needed her to actually enjoy spending time with him as much as he did with her, and Bickslow knew that tricking her into doing so would be the worst thing to do. But… Bickslow wasn't exactly going to outwardly say that he loved her being there. Not again, anyway, considering he'd already told her that he loved talking to her just the day before. He just didn't want her knowing how much he enjoyed her being there, and it was partly because he just didn't quite understand where it had all come from in the first place.

But even right then, Bickslow didn't really want her to leave. He just didn't know if she would stay if he invited her to. Clearing his throat quietly as he continued to silently search for a movie to keep him occupied, he decided to just get it over with. What was the worst that could happen anyway? She'd go home. "Well… You could always stay?" he mumbled, phrasing it as a question rather than a statement. He didn't want to actually _ask_ her to stay, even for just a few more hours. "I mean, if you wanted to. I was just going to watch a movie anyway, so I know you wouldn't really have a reason to stay… But if you wanted to, you could."

"W-Well, I… I don't exactly have anything else to do, so…" Lucy stammered, and mentally, she was hitting herself in the head. Repeatedly. She hadn't meant to make it sound like staying would only be because she had nothing better to do. In truth, she wouldn't mind staying and doing so because she was Bickslow's friend, and friends spent time together.

Bickslow shrugged. "Just an offer. You can take it or leave it. Doesn't really matter. You can leave if you really want to."

"No, I…" Lucy sighed as a frown etched on her face, and she let out a quiet sigh as she moved forward into the room. She wanted to stay. Gently placing her bag down by the lounge, she sat herself down right next to Bickslow, and she tucked her feet up under her. She barely paid any attention to how her knees were lightly resting on Bickslow's leg, that's how close she was sitting. "What are you going to watch?" she asked quietly as she looked down to folder.

Bickslow couldn't keep the smile off his face as he shrugged. "Not sure," he replied. He wasn't all that fussed, to be honest. He just wanted something to keep him occupied because he didn't want to sleep until the next time Scarlett got up. "You can decide, if you want."

"Nope. I don't really mind, so we can watch whatever you want."

"Suit yourself."

So Bickslow went back to aimlessly looking for a movie to watch. He'd watched everything he owned about a hundred times, just because there were plenty of nights where he hadn't been able to fall asleep. He could only toss and turn for so long before he'd given up and retreated to the lounge room to watch something to keep him occupied, and it was part of the reason Bickslow had never been good with mornings. Sometimes he'd fall asleep halfway through it though, only to wake up on the lounge later in the morning, and sometimes someone would come join him, and they'd stay up all night together laughing at the idiots in his favourite horror movies.

Bickslow really did love his horror movies though. Just as much as he loved his stupid romantic comedies and chick flicks that Evergreen had adored so much (he'd watched far too many of them when Evergreen had stayed up with him sometimes, and they had definitely become a guilty pleasure). If you were to ask him if he cried from watching _The Notebook_ though, he'd flat-out deny it. Always and forever. Evergreen would take that secret with her to the grave, and Bickslow would do his best to make sure of it.

Finally finding a movie, going with one of his favourites, as usual, Bickslow sat back down on the lounge next to Lucy and he crossed his legs beneath him. He didn't even care that Lucy was kind of leaning on him – or his leg, technically. Considering she'd spent the better part of an hour sitting on his shoulders just that morning, he had no reason to care how close she was.

Plus… He kind of liked it. He wasn't entirely sure why though, and he was sure as hell not going to question it.

It was only when the super long and boring backstory to his chosen movie started playing (it was the only bad thing about the movie in his opinion) did he feel a set of eyes on him, and he didn't entirely know why. He looked out of the corner of his eyes to the blonde right beside him and his brow became furrowed when he made out the expression on Lucy's face. She seemed deep in thought almost, and honestly, it was a little scary.

"You're staring," he muttered, blinking slowly as he ignored movie playing on the lacrima screen. "Why are you staring?"

"I'm just…" Lucy pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she tried to think of an excuse. Was she staring? Yeah, she was. But in her defence, she had plenty of reasons to stare. From the uniquely shaped eyes with the one of a kind irises (well, they were distinct to his family and his family only, so she'd learned), to the mark across his forehead and nose that she still had no idea if it was an actual birthmark or something to do with his magic, or if it was a tattoo. Considering he kept his face covered with his visor most of the time, Lucy couldn't _not_ stare, because he just had that kind of face. Lucy actually kind of liked looking at him, as strange as it was. "I only just noticed that I haven't seen you wear your visor at all in the last three days," she said softly eventually.

 _Oh… Right._ "I can wear it if you want me to. I just don't particularly li—"

"No, it's fine," Lucy interrupted. "I know you don't need to wear it, because I've seen you without it on in the guild plenty of times. I just think this is the longest I've seen you go without it."

"Well, I don't worry about it with people I trust, because people I trust know exactly what my magic does and what I can do. And I trust you, so I just didn't see the point in wearing it." He shrugged as he felt her eyes still on him and glanced to the side again. "Plus, I kept forgetting about it before since I kind of had other things on my mind."

Lucy smiled. "Yeah, I can understand that." She could only imagine what had been running through Bickslow's head over the last three days, and she could see Bickslow's forgetting about something she knew he didn't really need. Or at least, he didn't need all the time.

It wasn't like she had any problems with it though. She'd found it was easier to talk to him without it anyway, just because she liked being able to see someone when she was talking to them.

Still, it was hard not to look at Bickslow, and that, Lucy didn't understand. She'd be lying if she said he wasn't just a little attractive in his own way. Sure, he was a little eccentric – in a way that only he could pull off – but he was still kind of cute. And yes, if Bickslow had to have a word to describe him, Lucy would definitely use cute, or adorable; something along those lines. The eyes that were always brimming with mischief and the smile that made her want to melt into the floor on the odd occasion. He was cute. Or at least Lucy thought so, but she wouldn't tell him that. Not ever.

So when Bickslow stopped looking to her from the corner of his eye, Lucy went back to staring. She just couldn't help herself. In the dim room though, with the only light coming from the lamp in the corner at the end of the lounge and from the lacrima screen, Lucy wasn't sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her, or if Bickslow had _freckles_. Only a few, if they were there at all, and apparently very light. How had she never noticed that he had fucking freckles? If anything, she just thought it was another reason he was cute.

But it was as she looked to what she thought had been a darker one on the side of his nose did she question just how much she didn't know about Bickslow, and how she was only just now noticing a few tiny little details. "Did you have your nose pierced?" she asked incredulously. She knew it wasn't a freckle or any other type of mark, but she'd never seen the man with anything even close to a piercing in his nose.

"I did," Bickslow answered. "Got it done when I got my tongue done, but I took it out a couple of years ago."

"Wait, what?" Lucy sat back suddenly as her brows drew together quickly. "You had your _tongue_ pierced?!" To be honest, she wasn't actually that shocked. She'd quickly realised that he'd been in the habit of sticking his tongue out when he talked or grinned for a long time, so it wasn't all that surprising to Lucy that he'd had a piece of metal in it at some point.

Bickslow quickly turned to look at her in his own confusion. "You didn't know?"

"W-Well, no. Why would I know that?"

"Because my tongue is _still_ pierced, Cosplayer," he chuckled. The movie in the background was long forgotten as he tried not to laugh too hard at the dumbfounded expression on the blonde's face. He'd had it done since he was eighteen (considering he left home right before he turned eighteen), and there hadn't been a single day where he hadn't had it in. And with the amount of times he'd had his tongue hanging from his mouth while he'd been annoying the hell out of Lucy, he had no idea how she'd missed it. "How could you not know that?"

Lucy only blinked at the man as she tried to think of all the times she'd seen his stupid tongue – and honestly, it had been far too many times, and she didn't even want to think about it. But in the years she'd known him, she'd never once known he'd had it pierced. She just didn't understand. "I… I don't know?" she said quickly. As she said it, Bickslow only flashed a quick grin before he stuck his tongue out and held it between his teeth, half of his guild mark visible, and right against his teeth, the ball at the top of the black metal bar than ran through it. "Oh my god. You really do have your tongue pierced."

Lucy didn't understand how she'd missed it in all that time. Granted, it was black like his guild mark, so she figured that was part of the reason she hadn't noticed it.

"I do," Bickslow laughed as Lucy leant back against the back of the lounge, eyes still wide and focused on him. "You learn something new every day."

"Understatement…" she muttered. "But what am I going to learn about you now? Let me guess. The mark on your face is actually a tattoo?" She wouldn't be all that surprised now if it actually was.

Bickslow shook his head. "It's a mark I've had since I was a kid. I'm not stupid enough to get a tattoo on my face. But I do have three."

"You have three tattoos."

He held out his left arm and pushed the sleeve of his shirt up to just above his elbow. Lucy looked down to the dark red silhouette of what looked to be a bird of some sort on the inside of his forearm, right below his elbow – except if anything, it reminded her of the guild mark – and to the scroll at the very bottom of it with the words 'Family is Strength' in a cursive script. "I got this one a few months ago," Bickslow said. "There's an entire story about how my family's name originally used to be Sparrow forever ago, so that's what it's technically supposed to be. But since the guild has always been more of a family than my actual family, I wanted something that would show that, so it's supposed to be a mix between a sparrow and the Fairy Tail mark." He rolled his sleeve back down and dropped both of his hands to his lap as he shrugged, then continued, "As for the quote… Well, you've been in the guild long enough, so I'm assuming you can figure that one out."

Lucy nodded. She understood the quote perfectly, because it almost summed up what it meant to be a member of Fairy Tail. It was the bonds they all shared that made them stronger. They fought for each other, and as long as they were a family, they could do anything. They got their strength from each other.

And to see that Bickslow had been able to acknowledge who he was and his actual family with it as well was something that Lucy loved. Lucy knew he was still on good terms with his family, despite him leaving when he was younger. He'd explained the night before that his parents had gotten over it and forgiven him for it after a while, because they still had their youngest son to take over the company for them once he was of age, and even when he'd been nearly seven years younger than Bickslow (making him fractionally _older_ than Bickslow since he was frozen in time for seven years, much to his annoyance), he'd always been far more interested in the family business than Bickslow ever had been.

"I like that one," she said softly. "But what are the other two then?"

"Uh… I can't show you those."

"Aw, why not?"

"Because you really don't want to see them," Bickslow insisted, though he couldn't help but let the corner of his mouth lift up into a slight smirk. Showing her the one on his arm was one thing, but Bickslow was certain she wouldn't want to know he had red lips tattooed on the side of his ass (his first tattoo at the mere age of eighteen, a few weeks after his birthday, and done at the same time he'd gotten his tongue _and_ nose pierced), and then had 'BLOW ME' tattooed above his crotch (and that one had only been done because he'd gotten far too drunk on his twentieth birthday and Laxus had bet he wouldn't do it, so he'd woken up to a pounding headache, a tattoo right above his dick, and 10,000 Jewels. Even to that day, Bickslow was convinced it was worth it, even if the tattoo had cost more than what Laxus had bet). And sure, _plenty_ of people had seen those two particular tattoos, or even just one of them, and there were plenty of people in the guild who knew what he had.

But Bickslow was truly sure Lucy wouldn't appreciate those. If anything, it wasn't because Bickslow didn't really want her to know about them. It was more of a case he was scared about what would happen to _him_ if Laxus found out she'd seen them. Plus, not to mention that Lucy would probably be mortified.

Lucy laughed as she gently shoved his shoulder, only before dropping her head to rest on it. "Oh, come on," she whined. "Yes I do."

Bickslow shook his head. "Trust me, you really don't."

"Fine," Lucy sighed dejectedly. She was still curious as to what they were, but she'd drop it… For now. She was convinced someone in the guild would know, so maybe she'd just have to find out from someone else what his mystery tattoos were from. Surely they couldn't be that bad, right? Tilting her head slightly just to look back up to Bickslow, she quietly asked, "But why exactly did you decide to get the tattoos and piercings anyway? Was it just because you liked them?" It wasn't an issue of whether or not they suited him, because Lucy realised those kinds of things did. She was just curious.

"Kind of." The movie actually beginning to play in front of them was still lost to Bickslow as he turned to look down briefly to the blonde leaning on his shoulder – something he still didn't mind in the slightest. "I kind of went through a rebellious stage right after I left, I guess. Since I joined Fairy Tail not too long after that, I kind of went a bit overboard since I went from what was basically one extreme to the other."

"Aren't you still a bit rebellious though?" she giggled.

"A little, but I joined the guild right before I turned eighteen, so I was really bad back then," he replied, right before he cleared his throat and looked down to his hands sitting over his crossed legs. He hadn't expected to be telling Lucy what was practically his entire life story, but hey, what else were they going to talk about? It wasn't like he had an issue with it anyway. Apart from his family and his roots, he was an open book. "So uh… Since dating or any kind of relationship was so obviously out of the question while I was still in that world, I tended to experiment a bit when I was younger. Basically why I got my tongue pierced, actually."

Lucy lifted her head slightly to look up to Bickslow again. _What does having his tongue pierced have to do with ex— **Oh** …_ She blinked in surprise as she sat up having remembered all of the times Cana had slurred about wanting to get her tongue pierced, just for the reaction it would get. "Wait… So you're…?"

Bickslow rolled his eyes. He knew he should have seen that one coming, because it always did. "No, I'm not gay," he muttered.

"Then—"

"I'm not anything, okay?" he answered before she could even ask. He hated labels with a passion, and when it came to those kinds of labels, he hated them even more. He'd just never been one to conform to something and be put into categories. "I just am what I am, and I like who I like. No one ever said I was strictly into girls… Though, if you must know, I do have a very, _very_ strong preference for them. Besides, I have a kid remember, so…"

Lucy had quickly realised Bickslow was far more comfortable talking about his sexuality than she was listening to him talk about it, but she'd also quickly realised she might have offended him which she really hadn't meant to do. "Sorry, I just…" she mumbled as she joined her hands over her lap, her face as red as his eyes, no doubt. "You know, you only ever hear about guys liking it when girls having their tongue pierced, because… Well, I'm assuming you know."

Bickslow snorted. "I've found women like it a whole lot more." It wasn't exactly like he'd been with that many guys either, since he'd just been young and far more reckless than he was then. It had been fun and he'd wanted to experiment with everything, just because he could. But of course, with the handful of guys he'd been with over the years, he definitely knew they really did tend to like the whole having a piece of metal in his tongue thing.

But he'd been with a whole lot more women (the only time he was with a guy those days was if he was drunk enough, bored, had been insulted by the opposite sex far too many times in a short time frame, or just happened to meet a guy that made him think, ' _Holy hell, he's hot. Can I fuck him?_ ' It really wasn't very often though), and the vast majority tended to love the fact he had his tongue pierced, and tended to be way more responsive to it. But then again, Bickslow had never been able to figure out of if it was because of him, or for that tiny bar in the middle of his tongue, or if it was just because women were always more vocal when it came to that kind of thing (not that he ever complained). Although, it had made Bickslow wonder if he should take his piercing out just for a little while to see what it really was. He never did though.

Lucy's face could only get miraculously hotter as she slowly dropped her head to lean on his shoulder again. She hadn't once expected the conversation to go that way, but it had. In the space of ten minutes, she'd learned more about him than she had ever thought. Granted, some of those things hadn't totally been all that surprising. Actually, if anything, none of it was surprising.

She could see Bickslow's rebellious stage hitting as soon as he was free, because in the world they'd come from, that kind of thing wasn't tolerated at all. Or at least, it wasn't where _her_ family was concerned. Of course, once she thought about it though, Bickslow having been with guys at some point in his life was definitely something she could see, because like he'd said, he'd never once said he was strictly into girls. She'd always just assumed he was straight based on the stories she'd heard and how much he seemed to flirt with her, but Lucy was quickly realising she shouldn't assume anything about Bickslow at all. So far, all he'd done was blow every assumption completely out of the water and surprise Lucy with who he actually was beneath everything he seemed to hide himself behind for the most part.

But Lucy realised that she shouldn't have quickly jumped to the conclusion that he was in fact gay. After all, he'd only said experiment. And besides, if he had a baby, then he really did have to be into girls too. At least a little bit, anyway (or a lot, apparently).

"I wouldn't know," she sighed as she turned her eyes back to the lacrima screen and the movie playing on it.

Bickslow glanced back down to her as he felt her shift ever so slightly, apparently making herself comfortable on him. "Know what?" he asked.

"What it's like to be with someone who has a tongue piercing," she mumbled quietly. It was true though. She'd never even met a guy who had his tongue pierced until Bickslow (and it really was fitting that he did, she realised), and she hadn't been with any girls, and definitely not with ones with piercings. She didn't know if it was all that it was cracked up to be, but she was suddenly feeling very curious.

"Well…" His lips pulled up into a lecherous grin as he slowly said, "You know I'd be more than willing to fill you in when it comes to that." And oh, would he. Always. "But, you know… You dated my best friend so I kinda can't."

Lucy sighed again as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know. Not that I'd ever sleep with you anyway."

"A guy can still have his fantasies."

"You're an idiot."

"But you still love me."

"It's debatable sometimes," Lucy mumbled as she rolled her eyes for what she thought was the millionth time that day alone. Sure, the guy was an idiot, but he was still one of her closest friends, and even if she wouldn't say it, she still did love him. Most of the time.

But… As Bickslow stopped laughing and went back to trying to focus on the screen (he wasn't entirely sure why it wasn't working so well that night), Lucy had a very, _very_ stupid idea forming in her head. She may not ever sleep with him – or want to, for that matter – but she was still strangely curious about how much of a difference having a tongue piercing would make. Surely if they were to kiss, she'd notice it, right? Of course, it still wouldn't be felt like how it was obviously intended to be felt (something that had her face still feeling searing hot thanks to Bickslow's comment), but still…

She sat up suddenly when Bickslow looked back to her thanks to the sudden movement, and an eyebrow arched slightly when he saw the flushed expression on her face despite looking down to her lap. "Well… I mean…" Lucy began slowly as she kept her eyes down. "You could uh… You could kiss me…?"

The problem was that Lucy was suddenly really wanting to kiss Bickslow. She didn't think it would be that strange – she'd kissed people before, and some of those people had been her friends (hell, she'd kissed Levy and Cana in the guild when she'd gotten drunk at one of the guild's infamous parties). It wouldn't be all that odd for Lucy to kiss Bickslow, right? It was just to sate her curiosity, after all.

Bickslow had to do his best not to choke on the air he'd been breathing though. Where the hell was that coming from? Did Lucy really just say that he could _kiss_ her? Bickslow was almost convinced he hadn't actually heard her correctly. " _What?!_ "

* * *

 **Welp. It was getting a little long, and I just really wanted to end it there... Hehehe.**

 **So, in regards to how Bickslow is written in this story... Yeah, I'm aware I went a little overboard, but I still think it works (to an extent). I just really couldn't help myself when the ideas just kept multiplying and it became a case of, _'Yes, I must do this! He must have that!'_ etc. **

**Anyway. This chapter was a little earlier than expected, but I don't know when I'll get the next one up. You know me, I have far too many stories I'm working on at any given time so I'm not always going to be able to work on a certain one.**

 **Any errors or mistakes, I apologise for as usual. I always get them fixed once I catch the ones I miss.**

 **I hope you liked this chapter though, and until next time.**

 **\- April**


	5. Something's Different

_**So it's another long chapter, and a lot happens in this one. Like, seriously... You'll see.**_  
 _ **But thank you all so much for the reviews on the last chapter!**_

 _ **Now on to this one!**_

* * *

Lucy could only do so much to silence her inner voice that was absolutely _screaming_ at her for being so stupid. All she wanted to do was channel her inner house-elf and hit her head against a wall or a set of drawers or with a book. _Repeatedly_.

How could she say something so moronic? _Why_ did she say it at all? She hadn't thought it through at all.

Besides, Bickslow wouldn't kiss her anyway. Even if he did want to, which Lucy was certain he wouldn't because they were friends and it would be weird, he _couldn't_. She was, as he had put it, off-limits. For the rest of her life, she would be off-limits to each member of his team, all because she had dated Laxus for a month and a half. It wasn't like she'd ever want to be with anyone on Bickslow's team, but she couldn't help but find it just a little annoying.

So what if she'd dated Laxus? They'd ended on amicable terms and they were pretty good friends to that day. She was a big girl and she could make her own decisions, and even though she would never, _ever_ date anyone like Bickslow because she valued him as a friend too much to begin with, she didn't appreciate knowing that her past relationship could and would possibly interfere with her non-existent future one.

 _Stupid guys and their stupid bro code._

None of it mattered though. She would never date Bickslow, or even like him in that capacity. But as much as she realised she did want to kiss him right then for reasons she had yet to figure out, she knew she couldn't. Bickslow wouldn't. She was sure of that. It was just a stupid idea and she was hating herself for it.

She didn't look up to see the way that Bickslow was just staring at her in complete shock in confusion as she quickly began to apologise. She couldn't look to Bickslow. Not then. God, she was just so embarrassed. "Sorry. I… I didn't really mean that. I don't even know why I just said that… Like, at all…"

Bickslow almost stopped listening to the words coming from her mouth. He could see her lips moving and the way her face seemed to become even more flushed, not that he was really sure how it was even possible at that point. He still thought it was cute as hell though, and he was beginning to realise he would always find her blushing cute.

But she had actually said the words. He was sure of that then. She had said that he could kiss her. He knew that it was really just because of him having his tongue pierced and she was obviously curious, but he just didn't quite have the heart to tell her that it really didn't make a difference. Not with kissing, anyway.

As she continued to ramble and apologise for saying something so stupid and how he wouldn't want to kiss her anyway because it would be far too weird, Bickslow found himself with a bit of a dilemma. It wasn't a case of not wanting to kiss her, because he did. A lot. He wanted to do a lot of things to her and he had for a while, but he knew he never could. Aside from the entire issue with the _bro code_ being an actual thing, half of the things he could only fantasise about happening would just never happen because they were friends. Nothing more than friends, and definitely not anything less.

His problem though, was that he _really_ wanted to do it. Screw the stupid bro code. It's a kiss. So fucking what? It wasn't like Laxus would ever find out about it anyway, and even though it would be just a little weird to basically be making out with her (if she wanted to know what it was like, he would really show her, despite how little the piece of metal in his tongue changed anything), he wanted to do it.

It was just a kiss. No big deal. All Bickslow had to do now though was find a way to get Lucy to shut the hell up. But even then, it wasn't like Bickslow had any idea what to say. ' _Yeah, I'll kiss you. Let's go_ ,' just didn't seem like it would work. If anything, Bickslow didn't really want to say anything, so he didn't. Instead, as the blonde next to him continued to ramble and apologise some more, Bickslow lifted a hand to her cheek to finally have her looking at him instead of her lap, and he quickly pressed his lips to hers.

All of it happened so quickly that all Lucy could do was blink at Bickslow, who was at that point, looking as equally confused as she felt like. She could tell, because she was quite literally looking right at the slowly blinking eyes right in front of her own. She knew she'd made some sort of noise when she'd been startled, but it had only been smothered and drowned out by his mouth. His almost perfect… Still unmoving… Firm yet perfectly soft lips… On hers.

Part of her was truly surprised that Bickslow had even kissed her – or technically, still was, sort of – in the first place, but there was a much large part of her that was suddenly glad he had and she didn't quite understand it. Just like how she didn't understand why her inner voice had made itself scarce and if she listened closely, she was sure she could hear it sigh in contentment and disappear off to some far off land filled with rainbows, sunshine, and strangely, great sex. She wasn't quite sure where that had come from, but she figured it had something to do with the fact she was kissing _Bickslow_.

Lucy could only finally close her eyes just as she relaxed against him, and with Bickslow quickly following suit, their lips slowly began to move over one another. As soon as it happened, Lucy was quickly realising something was wrong. Or not so much wrong as it was _different_. That's what it was. There was something seriously different about it. Even with just their lips moving, it was damn sure the best kiss Lucy had ever had, and she was realising that Bickslow being a great kisser wasn't all that surprising. Or maybe that was just the haze setting in that was saying that. Lucy just wasn't sure.

She couldn't understand why her heart was beating so fast behind her ribcage, or why she felt like she almost had a warmth blossoming out of her. It was even almost… Her thought trailed off as his tongue lightly traced along her lower lip, finally, and all she could do was sit up slightly to lift her own hand to thread her fingers in the hair on one side of his head.

Lucy quickly found herself not caring about anything around her. She barely even noticed the piercing after the first sweep of his tongue against hers. She just didn't care. She didn't care about the way that Bickslow only seemed to be trying to pull her closer with one hand on her hip, and she didn't care that she was letting him. She needed to be closer; she needed more of that feeling that made her glad she wasn't standing.

When she slowly shifted until she was straddling his lap, only forcing him to put one foot on the floor, Bickslow didn't care in the slightest. If he'd had the ability to care though, he was sure he wouldn't have. There was just something about kissing Lucy that had his mind almost completely shutting off. All there was rattling around in his brain was how there was something simultaneously so wrong and so damn _right_ about… Well, about whatever it was that was happening.

Bickslow had never felt almost lightheaded from a kiss. He'd made people feel that way, but never himself. Not once. But then? He was basically done for, and all he could do was beg his mind to just shut the fuck up with its incessant worrying and fretting about how there really was something that felt right about kissing Lucy, and it really wasn't just in his head. He just didn't know where it was or what it was.

His hands only continued to slowly smooth up and down her sides, brushing over that sliver of creamy flesh between the shirt and her jeans, before settling on her covered ass, over and over. If anything, he couldn't tell if it was all in an attempt to get her to stop moving so much, to try and pull her even closer if it was even possible, or to get her to moan quietly again against his mouth, because god did that feel good. Strangely.

It was only when an extraordinarily loud – in comparison to the rest of it – bang came from the movie playing in the background did the two finally begin to come back to themselves, the loud noise having pulled them both from their dazes in a matter of seconds. Almost reluctantly, they found themselves pulling apart, and their eyes slowly opened to look at the flushed faces of the other.

As the fog in her mind lifted and her heavy breathing slowly began returning to normal along with Bickslow, Lucy quickly realised some things, and all in the seconds where they only seemed to stare at each other and silently ask the question of what the fuck had just happened.

First, Lucy realised that the almost exhilarating jolt of electricity she'd had running through her – and had made her almost want to curl her toes – long enough to almost forget about it was a feeling she had both never experienced before, and was one she missed. That exhilaration and that something deep within her that had her only wanting more. _So_ much more.

She still couldn't even explain what it really was or what she was really feeling, but she knew it was something.

Second, it was the position they were in. No longer was she sitting over his lap and tangling her hands up in the thick hair of his mohawk. Instead, she was literally lying on top of Bickslow who was lying back on the lounge. How that had happened, Lucy had no clue whatsoever, and as she slowly got her bearings along with Bickslow, she paid special attention to the way one of his hands left the back of her head, and the other slipped down her waist from where it was sliding just barely under her shirt, and to the floor.

Third, it was that Lucy had been, and still kind of was, more than willing to go a lot further than just being sprawled out on top of Bickslow with their legs somewhat tangled together on his lounge. And from what she could tell, Bickslow obviously was too. If she could be embarrassed at that point, or even mortified, Lucy was sure she would be. But she just couldn't be for whatever reason, because all she could think about was doing that again.

"So uh…" She finally began to sit up slowly, her hands moving down from his shoulders and over his chest to walk her up into a sitting position. "I guess we um… Got a little carried away," she mumbled, and as she looked down to see the actually flushed face of the Seith mage below her, she fought hard not to smile.

It was strangely cute.

Bickslow shrugged slightly from beneath her, and she only got a quiet grunt as a response. _Carried away?_ _Yeah, understatement of the fucking year._ That had been more than getting a little carried away. Now, Bickslow was only too aware of his babies giggling in his head. A high pitched ' _ooh la la,'_ a ' _show her some more of what you can do with that tongue!'_ and a ' _get a room, lovebirds,_ ' was more than enough reason to be wanting to find a way to permanently silence them again, but of course, he would never be able to do that.

Some days, Bickslow was almost certain his lack of sanity was due to the annoying voices he really did constantly have in his head.

Still, even if he was doing his best to tune them out right then, there were some things he really couldn't ignore. Aside from Bickslow not really knowing why he felt like his heart was still beating too damn fast and why there was a stranger and deeper feeling beneath it, both of which he desperately wanted to ignore because they were terrifying questions with terrifying answers, he couldn't quite ignore the fact that Lucy was still sitting on him.

Any other time he'd probably have made a joke about how her current position would be a whole lot better for the both of them if they were _without_ clothes, but not then. Definitely not then, because all Bickslow could think about then was getting her to move the hell off of him so he could deal with his shame elsewhere or something.

Or go check on his daughter even though he knew full well that she was perfectly fine and asleep still. The babies did tell him that when the thought crossed his mind.

Just anything to get him temporarily away from Lucy so he could forget about the fact that just making out with her had made him hard. Granted, it wasn't exactly that surprising, because it had been Lucy damn Heartfilia on his lap, but still. He would really rather not dwell on that at all. Ever again.

Clearing his throat, Bickslow sat up on one elbow. He didn't even care how embarrassed he looked right then as he looked up to Lucy. "Do you mind maybe um…Moving?" He only saw her brow furrow slightly at his request, and so he mumbled, doing his best to make his voice seem closer to normal and hopefully not as raspy as his last sentence had come out, "I really don't want to spell it out or anything or make this situation any more awkward than it already is, but I mean, you're kinda… I'm kinda…" He paused for just a brief moment as his eyes flicked down to where she was straddling his hips and his confined arousal, and as he looked back up as Lucy did, he saw the realisation finally ( _thank fucking finally)_ set in. "You've had to have noticed."

Did she notice? Oh yes, she had noticed. She'd never quite forgotten once she had noticed it, actually. But she was realising just how uncomfortable the situation had become, all because she'd made the conscious decision to sit up and _only_ sit up instead of actually getting off of Bickslow. Well, it had been a semi-conscious decision.

As a shriek fled her mouth, followed by a series of mumbled apologies, she removed herself from his lap and untangled the last of their limbs, and quickly sat herself down on the opposite end of the lounge. She tucked her feet up under her as she pressed herself into the corner of the far too comfortable lounge, and as she made a point of not watching Bickslow pick himself up and only silently go out into his main living area, she could only try and bring her knees together in an attempt to relieve some of that tension between her legs.

Right then, sitting in that room alone and trying to decide whether she should still stay or just go, Lucy was definitely glad the weather was getting too cold to wear skirts every day. She was sure that if she'd been wearing a skirt right then, there was a good chance she would have almost torn it off at some point, and it would probably be on the floor somewhere in amongst the clothes Bickslow had been wearing. Kissing had done nothing to sate her curiosity about his piercing like she'd expected it to, and now she was only wishing she could really find out just how much of a difference a tiny piece of metal could do.

While Lucy was sitting silently in the lounge room and internally berating herself for letting the strange thoughts even cross her mind for the briefest of seconds, Bickslow was practically doing the same thing. Just from the kitchen… And with his forehead repeatedly hitting one of the cabinet doors above the kitchen counters. Not loud enough for Lucy to hear it even though his lounge room and kitchen were only separated by a wall and a built-in pantry that surrounded his fridge plus a few counters and cabinets, but hard enough that his forehead was beginning to hurt.

Bickslow was, for once, feeling almost absolutely mortified. That didn't happen. At all. He practically had zero shame when it came to… Well, anything. But with what had happened right then, it was a completely different story for some reason, and Bickslow just didn't want to know why. He didn't want to know why Lucy goddamn Heartfilia was making him feel… Well, making him feel anything in general, actually.

In the back of his chaotic mind, there was just one single thought, and it was that something else had happened. He didn't know what, but it was _something_ ; there had been _something_ else there. Bickslow was stuck between being certain of that, and telling himself that he was just overthinking. Which, was something he tended to do sometimes.

But the point remained that Bickslow had kissed a lot of people, and by that stage in his life, he had mastered the art of doing so and remove all meaning from it. No attachment or feelings or anything. But what had just happened with Lucy was not that. It wasn't as if he believed it was meaningless, but he also didn't believe it was meaningful. It just couldn't have meant anything though because it was Lucy.

And for fuck's sake, it was just a fucking _kiss_.

 _Calm the fuck down, man._ _I'm just overthinking._ _It was nothing. Absolutely nothing. Sure, it was a great fucking kiss, but…_ Bickslow sighed as he opened the cabinet he had his forehead now resting on, and only pulled out a packet of microwave popcorn. He needed something to distract himself and get the distressing thoughts out of his head, even if they were proving to be epic boner killers. "Doesn't mean a single thing," he whispered to himself as he stood in front of the microwave and watched the bag slowly begin to inflate. "There's not a something. There's nothing. Nothing at all."

 _"You so totally like her,"_ Puppu said slyly.

 _"I do fucking not,"_ Bickslow grumbled silently. _Where the hell did that come from?_

 _"Do so,"_ they all countered.

He rolled his eyes as he folded his arms across his chest and leant back against the island counter and stared intently at the microwave. _"I do not like her, babies, and you know that."_

 _"But that kiss!"_ Poppo sighed.

 _"You can't deny there was a spark!"_ Pippi added.

Bickslow's brow furrowed as he listened to the rampant sounds of the babies in his head. _Spark? What's this about a spark? Isn't that the thing in romance novels? "Huh? Spark? What the fuck is—"_

 _"Ooh, that **electrifying** attraction!" _ Pappa sighed along the rest of them, giggling as Bickslow's head only conjured up images of Lucy and _Laxus_ , unfortunately.

 _"You two are destined to be together…"_ Puppu crooned.

 _"The Cosplayer and her valiant Knight… Soulmates until the end of t—"_

 _"Alright. That's fucking it."_ As the microwave beeped, he quickly pulled the door open and then slammed it shut. He wasn't going to deal with his non-human, non-mortal children giggling in his head about him apparently liking Lucy, there being some sort of spark between them (whatever the fuck that meant), and definitely not that she was his soulmate and that they were destined to be together. Bickslow had a pretty lax personality that went along with his strange sense of humour, and even though he found practically everything funny, there were some things he did not.

At the things going around his head, he wouldn't laugh at a single one. No, they were just annoying, and they were really not helping him forget about the entire situation any sooner. And really, that was all he wanted to do.

Hearing the snickering in his head and the triumphant cries of joy over irritating the living hell out of their master in just a matter of seconds (almost a new record for them, actually), Bickslow grabbed a large bowl from a cupboard and tore open the bag of popcorn and began pouring it in. Cleaning up his mess around the kitchen before going back into the lounge room, Bickslow silently began, _"Now if you lot do not shut the hell up and drop this, at least until Lucy is gone, I will find a way to release you and you will go back to the wandering and lost souls you once were."_ He paused just to savour the brief moment of silence his threat offered. Then, _"Another peep from you tonight though about anything other than Scarlett, and I will put you in spare keys and lock you up in a box somewhere for the next three days. I know you guys like your freedom, so do we have an understanding?"_

 _"… Yes, Bickslow,"_ they all mumbled quietly after a moment's hesitation.

Smirking to himself as he picked up the bowl and slowly headed towards the lounge room, Bickslow asked, _"Now what is it we're not going to do tonight? Or better yet, never again?"_

 _"Not going to call Cosplayer your soulmate or say you like her."_

 _"Because you llllllove her!"_ Pippi added quickly to a chorus of giggles from the other four.

Bickslow frowned _. "Pippi…"_

 _"Sorry."_

Bickslow only shook his head as he finally made his way back into the dim lounge room, and then sat himself down on the lounge next to Lucy again. Not so close that she would be leaning on him again, but close enough that they weren't on opposite ends of the lounge. If he'd wanted to make things awkward, he could have sat on the opposite corner of the lounge. But if anything, it wouldn't really put them any further apart, thanks to the magic of trigonometry and the fucking hypotenuse.

Besides, if he tried to act like a kid and put some distance between them, it would be just a little immature. Even by his standards. They were grown adults, and they could move past what had just happened and forget it even happened.

As he settled himself back on the lounge next to Lucy, his legs crossed under him and the popcorn in a bowl on his lap, Lucy made herself comfortable too. _If Bickslow is acting like nothing happened, then so can I._ Only mimicking his position, she found that their knees would only occasionally brush against each other with the slightest of movements, but it was enough to have warmth flaring on her cheeks again whenever it happened.

Watching the movie with a lack of interest, Lucy knew she needed to do something to ease the tension in the room. It was almost unbearable. And granted she knew she could just go home instead of staying, but she didn't want to. Not just yet, anyway. Quickly reaching over to steal the bowl of popcorn from Bickslow's lap, she dropped it on her own and took a small handful from it. "You know," she began with a mouthful of popcorn. "I really thought the piercing would make a difference, but it didn't."

Bickslow smirked as he stole the bowl back. "I could've told you that."

"Well, you didn't."

"Did you really expect me to let that opportunity go to waste?"

Lucy's eyes went wide at his blunt response, but she couldn't stop the corner of her mouth from lifting up slightly into a small smile. _So that was how it was going to be._ They weren't going to completely forget it happened, but they could at least joke about it. That was fine, and if anything, Lucy preferred that. If she thought about it, it actually was just a little entertaining. She'd just made out with Bickslow of all people, because for some reason, her slightly messed up brain had thought it would be a somewhat good (or purely fucking terrible) idea to know what it was like to kiss someone with a tongue piercing. Only to get completely and far too carried away, and end with her wanting to (and _still_ just a little) jump his bones.

In what world was that not just a little entertaining? Shrugging slightly, Lucy softly said, "Fair point." And with the popcorn bowl between them instead of silently and constantly taking it from the other, they began to actually focus on the movie. But of course, given they'd missed a good portion of the start, that was only after Bickslow explained what they'd missed when they'd been too busy with their tongues halfway down each other's throats.

By the end of the movie though, Lucy was quite literally too scared to go home. She had quickly realised it was some form of horror movie, and ordinarily, that wouldn't have bothered her. You know… If she'd had her human torch and security blanket – otherwise known as Natsu – to chase away the shadows on the floor from the trees moving outside in the wind, or if every single light was on in the house. But this one? This one had completely terrified Lucy, and there had actually been a time where Bickslow had actually had to pause the movie because he'd been laughing too much at the blonde who was hiding her face in his arm and flinching every time something happened.

Gone was the awkwardness from earlier in the night, and in its place was just pure entertainment for Bickslow. He'd never thought he would live to see the day where Lucy jumped from the shadows dancing across the carpet in his lounge room thanks to the large tree at the back of his yard, or for her to curl up in a ball against him when his daughter started crying suddenly.

Of course, Lucy didn't find any of it as entertaining as Bickslow did. Not in the slightest, because she really was too scared to go outside. She could stare a Vulcan in the face and not feel a single shred of fear running through her, but she couldn't go outside where there were creatures that lurked in the shadows. Or at least, that's what was going through her head at the time, and yes, she knew just how silly it was.

"Alright, Cosplayer," Bickslow chuckled as the moved the now empty popcorn bowl to the side of him as the credits began. "Movie's over. You can look now."

Cautiously, she only turned her face away from where it was pressed against his shoulder, and just enough so she could in fact see the credits rolling on the black background, the ominous music being turned down by Bickslow. Confident that the credits weren't going to have her screaming and jumping into Bickslow's lap to cry, she pulled herself away from the Seith mage and sat up on her own. "Oh… I see."

With that, Bickslow only got up to take the bowl back to the kitchen and get a bottle ready for Scarlett, having figured out that she would be getting hungry pretty damn soon. Lucy was left alone in the now thankfully bright living room after he turned a light on as he made his way out. She could hear Bickslow rushing about in the kitchen now, and his footsteps disappearing down the hall before coming back, and as he walked past the archway separating the living area and the lounge room, she could see he was holding Scarlett now.

Sighing, the blonde picked up her bag from where it was on the floor by the lounge, and swung it over her shoulder. It was definitely getting late now, and despite how scared she now strangely was of walking home alone in the dark and how much she didn't want to, she knew she had to. There were no creatures lurking in the shadows.

Or at least, she hoped there weren't.

"So that movie was completely terrifying, and now I need to go home and curl up in a ball in bed and sleep with all of the lights on," Lucy chuckled nervously as she came back into the main living room and headed across to the door.

Bickslow only briefly glanced up from where he sat on the lounge next to the large bookcase and in the front corner by his front door, and his lips quirked upwards as he looked back down to Scarlett, keeping her steady in one arm and the bottle held in his other hand. "Don't need anyone to walk you home and make sure nothing will jump out at you on your way?"

"No, thank you very much," she scoffed. Of course, walking home with someone would probably be a lot nicer and would definitely ease her fear of suddenly getting mugged by a damn shadow or something, but Lucy couldn't quite tell if Bickslow was serious and he meant himself. _Surely not… Right?_ She mentally shook her head at the absurd thought. Bickslow wasn't actually offering to walk her home. It was a joke.

Besides… Even if he did mean it, he couldn't. He had Scarlett to take care of and she really didn't want to give Bickslow another reason to laugh at her, because she could see herself jumping five feet into the air if a stray cat decided to jump out of an alley as she walked past.

"But if I do get scared, I have a feeling Loke will come to my rescue to save me from the shadows," she giggled, and she barely registered the way Bickslow seemed to frown for the just the briefest of moments.

"'Course he will," he muttered.

Lucy smiled. "You know it. Well, I'm off." She finally began to pull the door open and an instant shiver ran down her spine when she felt the cold bite of the autumn air. "I'll be over in the afternoon tomorrow, not in the morning. I just need to go to the guild and sort out my team and let them know I haven't actually been abducted or anything crazy."

"You're not going to tell them about any of this, right?"

"It's not my place to tell, so no. I'll just say that I've been helping a friend with something."

Bickslow nodded. Aside from him not believing that her team would accept that half-truth very easily, he still needed it to be his secret for a little while later. Or, really, _their_ secret, because Lucy was the only other person who knew. Just a few more weeks, that was all Bickslow needed. He needed to get himself settled, or at least the best he could, before he let anyone else know that he had a daughter now. He just didn't need that stress, and as much as Bickslow didn't like that Lucy was having to keep that kind of secret from her team and her friends – hell, the entire fucking guild – he was glad that she was.

"Thanks, Lucy." He sighed just before he looked up again, then clearing his throat to ease some of the awkwardness he now felt – _fuck, why is her smile so gorgeous right now?_ – and quickly looking back down, he said, "But yeah, it's late, so I'll see you tomorrow. Get some rest for once."

"I'll try," she said with a smile. "Goodnight, Bickslow."

"Night." With the door closing behind her, Bickslow was once again left alone in his house, with his only form of human socialisation being very one-sided conversations with a not even two-week-old baby. If it wasn't the babies constantly in his head – something he was sure was going to drive him clinically insane a whole lot faster now that they'd found out they could irritate him by bringing up Lucy and whatever the hell had happened earlier – that would make him just a little crazy, then it would be talking to his daughter.

It wasn't like it made that much of a difference anyway. He was practically always talking to himself anyway. Scarlett obviously couldn't, and the babies were mostly just extensions of his own thoughts and personality…

The fact that Bickslow was only now just remembering that detail about the souls he kind of liked (sometimes) had him worrying yet again. Bickslow had long since realised that the babies tended to have a habit of making him realise what he already knew – one of the many perks of hearing every single one of his thoughts and seeing just what was in his head.

But, they still did have their own personalities, and a lot of the time when they were trying to drive Bickslow to threatening to take away their freedom, it was actually _them_. Not extensions of his thoughts, but being their own annoying as all hell immortal little bastards. What they'd said before, Bickslow was realising (or really just hoping) was them trying to annoy the living hell out of him. It was quite literally impossible for that to have been a case where they were pulling out fragments of what he already knew and phrasing them in a way that wasn't as chaotic as when in his mind.

It couldn't have been like that. Not a chance. They would have just seen what was bouncing around in his head at the time as he tried to figure out just what the absolute fuck had happened when he'd kissed her (even though Bickslow hated the idea of there being a _something_ that had happened, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it for the last two hours and he was beginning to be convinced that there had in fact been something. That had not been strictly normal, and Bickslow knew it), and they'd just used all of it to drive him insane and tease him about it. It wasn't exactly that out of the ordinary for them to do that.

Shaking his head and instead staring down at Scarlett in his arms, he chose not to dwell on it any longer. The more he thought about it, the more it confused him, and the less sense it made. As much as he tried to tell himself that it was nothing and just a really fantastic (like, surprisingly great) kiss, something always felt wrong when he thought that. But… He wasn't going to focus on that any more. Nope. Not at all.

Instead, he would focus on Scarlett and bonding with her and figuring everything out.

And… Realising that Lucy had still been wearing his shirt when she left. It was only then that Bickslow remembered that he'd actually forgotten to wash her shirt. But it wasn't all bad though, because she really did look good in his shirt. It probably would have looked a whole lot better on the lounge room floor with the rest of her clothes (and his), but he still didn't think an oversized shirt could look so good.

Only on Lucy, he realised. No one could ever make a guy's shirt look as good as she did.

* * *

By the time Lucy was walking into the gated yard to Bickslow's house the next day, it had just barely passed noon. She hadn't gone into the guild until mid-morning as it was, having left Bickslow's house around midnight and then spent the next few hours tossing and turning and trying to block the damn Seith mage out of her head so she could get some rest. Plus, not to mention how every single creak and groan in her apartment building was making her just curl up in an even tighter ball under her blankets.

Never again would she watch a movie that Bickslow had chosen. Not unless it was some form of children's movie.

Her team, not that unexpectedly, had bombarded her with questions about what it was she had been doing and who the mysterious friend was, but Lucy didn't budge and she kept her secret. Or really, it was Bickslow's secret. After a while, they'd eventually accepted it and that she wasn't actually being blackmailed or wasn't been threatened, but that had only been because she'd told them that she'd be able to tell them in a few weeks. Maybe. Lucy wasn't all that sure if Bickslow would want her team knowing, but she figured that once his team knew, then it would spread like wildfire around the guild, so it would at least be another week and a half until anyone else found about it.

Freed would tell Mira, if Evergreen didn't tell Elfman and Elfman got to her first, and Mira would probably pass out. And then she'd squeal about red-eyed babies for the next few hours and probably spend the next week at least in Bickslow's house.

Lucy hadn't stayed in the guild all that long though. It had really just been a _quick_ visit to call off the watchdogs that were her team and prove that she was alive and well. Seriously, how Erza could actually believe that she'd been abducted all because she hadn't been in the guild for a couple of days was something Lucy would never be able to figure out.

Still though, part of leaving the guild after just a couple of hours (honestly longer than she'd wanted to be there, but it had been expected) was because she found herself preferring to be at Bickslow's. Aside from the fact that she was just a little disappointed she had missed out on Bickslow cooking breakfast again (she was hoping that she'd be in time for lunch though), she really had enjoyed the last few days with Bickslow, even after the previous night's… events. It was just that right then she would really rather be with Bickslow instead of her team.

Reaching the small porch, she pulled out her set of house keys with Bickslow's on it, and then pushed open the door with a smile. It only managed to get brighter for some reason when she saw Bickslow sitting cross legged on the sofa at the front of his house with Scarlett all wrapped up in his arms, and when he looked up at her with a great – though tired, admittedly – big grin, Lucy was almost sure she felt her heart skip at least half a beat if that was even possible.

"Hey! You're here!" Bickslow said quietly yet excitedly before the blonde could get a single word in. Carefully moving an arm from under Scarlett, he patted the spot on the lounge just next to him before bringing the newborn into both arms again, cradling her against his chest. "Come. Sit."

An eyebrow rose curiously at the Seith mage's strange (or _stranger_ than usual) behaviour, and with the door closed and locked behind her, she made her way over to the lounge and sat down right beside Bickslow. "You're in a good mood today," she said with a quiet laugh. "What's brought that on?"

If Bickslow could say it was because Lucy was there, he would, because for whatever reason, seeing the blonde walk through his door seemed to brighten his day even more all of a sudden. He didn't really know why, of course, but it was just another mystery to add to the pile that had been growing overnight.

Instead, he only shrugged as he smiled down at his daughter. "Dunno. Just one of those days, I think," he answered. "But I really shouldn't be this happy, because I'm so totally and completely exhausted that I think I'm actually over-tired right now."

"Well, did you get any rest last night after I left?"

"Nope. Well, maybe a little bit. I was too busy thinking about..." He paused right before he could blurt out that he'd been too busy thinking about _her_ to get any sleep. He hadn't been able to shut his mind off or pull its focus away from Lucy for very long at any given time, and he truly didn't know why he was like that. His smile only faltering for just a moment, Bickslow quickly continued, "Doesn't matter what I was thinking about, actually. But then Scout—"

"Scarlett."

"—was crying a lot, and then it just wasn't worth trying to get any sleep anyway, so I just put together her crib because I didn't really know what else to do. So… No, I didn't get any rest after you left."

Lucy sighed as he frowned once again. When running on a severe lack of sleep, Bickslow obviously tended to have moods that could easily fluctuate, and that was something Lucy was quickly realising. She did still feel a little sorry for him though, even if it was something that he was going to get used to over the next few weeks and months. Regardless of him now being a father to a newborn girl though, having zero sleep was not the way to do things. If Bickslow got stuck with the mentality that it wasn't worth getting any rest at all, then he would soon crash and burn and that was something Lucy didn't want to see happening.

Looking down to Scarlett – she had realised why he had the name Scout in his head, but she still wasn't so sure why he was so set on giving his daughter that name, even though she was now legally named Scarlett – in his arms, sleeping peacefully, Lucy softly said, "You need to make sure you get at least a little sleep every day, Bickslow. You can't do this without it."

"I know, I know. I just… I wanted to, but I just couldn't," Bickslow replied. He desperately wanted sleep that much was for sure. It was just that things kept getting in the way, and by the time the sun came up, he just didn't really feel like it all that much. Of course, it was something he was now regretting. "I was going to try and get some sleep just before, actually, because I didn't think you'd be here for another couple of hours at least. Not that I'm not glad you're here, because I really am because you're amazing and all."

She turned away slightly as a blush crept onto her cheeks along with a small smile.

"But then she was crying and she wasn't crying and then she fell asleep… And then I didn't move," he said quickly and quietly as a bright smile once again graced his face. "Because she's so tiny and so perfect and I just… I don't know what it would be like if I didn't have her right now, and I know it's strange because it's only been like four days, if that. But I already love her so much and she's just… She's completely taken over my heart and my soul and just my entire life already. And then when I sit here and look at her, I don't really want to do anything else but hold her."

 _Oh my gosh. That is the sweetest thing I have ever heard in my entire life. Hands down. Nothing can top that. Nope._ "Aw, Bix," Lucy whispered, and looking back down to the object of his affection, she gently lowered her head to rest on his shoulder. "That's beautiful. It doesn't even matter how long it's been though, because she's your daughter and that's the way you're supposed to feel."

"I suppose so." Bickslow knew Lucy was right though. She was always right, and about absolutely everything, as he was realising. Scarlett was his daughter, and in a way, he really was supposed to love her as much as he did. She was his, and she was already the centre of his world. Bickslow was realising that he would do absolutely anything to keep her safe or even happy, because that was what he was supposed to do. He was a father, and he was _her_ father.

But when Bickslow was holding her, he almost felt… At peace. And especially so when she was actually quiet. He didn't quite understand why he felt that way, but he didn't need to know why he did either. It just didn't matter, because it was his daughter, and she was perfect in his eyes. In just a few days, Bickslow really had completely fallen in love with her. Screw falling in love with anyone and getting married; Bickslow didn't even think he would be capable of loving anyone else now. Not as much as he loved Scarlett, anyway.

Along with still trying to accept and deal with the fact that he really was a father now, he was having to accept that he really did have a heart and a soul. On multiple occasions, he'd been called heartless and soulless – usually by women, of course, but there had been the odd guy – but he was only now just realising that it wasn't even possible (well, aside from the fact that it really was impossible for him to be without a heart at the very least). He had a heart, and he had a soul, because his not even two-week-old daughter had them between her tiny hands and she didn't even know it.

Bickslow figured that was part of the reason why he could just sit there holding Scarlett for what felt like hours on end. Just because he had the most important thing in the entire world to him so close, and he knew for certain that she was safe and happy in that moment in time.

Plus, Bickslow had realised that she would occasionally laugh (or something close to laughing) and smile in her sleep, and he was convinced that it was actually the most adorable thing he was ever going to see in his entire life. So when she did it again right at that very moment, the corners of his mouth turned up into a wide grin and he only quietly laughed to himself at the sight along with Lucy.

"Okay, I think that is quite possibly the cutest thing I will ever see," Lucy giggled.

"Tell me about it." Sighing, Bickslow carefully turned Scarlett in his arms, and towards Lucy, then softly said, "Here. You can hold her. I've been sitting here for like an hour and my arms are starting to hurt."

"Oh… Okay." Just a little reluctantly, Lucy took Scarlett into her arms and settled back against the lounge, bringing her feet up and crossing them under herself and mimicking Bickslow's position. Lucy had to admit she did like Scarlett – a lot, in fact – and she really loved holding her. She was just so small and adorable and so easy to just cuddle with. She understood how Bickslow would want to do nothing but hold her, because Lucy could see herself being the same way if it was her daughter in her arms and not Bickslow's.

That wasn't to say she wanted to let Scarlett go right then, because she didn't. She was quite happy just sitting there for a little while longer… Or a lot longer. Even if Bickslow had decided that _her_ shoulder would be a resting place for once. Lucy found herself not really minding though, even if she was sure she was going to get a very sore shoulder should he stay there for too long.

It was as they sat there in mostly silence, the only sounds coming from Scarlett or Bickslow and Lucy laughing quietly at the newborn's laughter, Bickslow was realising that just sitting there right then felt nice. He didn't know if it was just because it was peaceful and he felt almost relaxed, or if it was because of Lucy. He just didn't know, and it was another answer he didn't think he wanted to know.

But it was nice just sitting there with Lucy and his daughter. He was sure it was his sleep deprived mind that was making him think that it felt almost like they were a family and that it was _their_ daughter and not his, because there was no way he'd think of something like that if he wasn't severely lacking sleep, even if the fact that they would have been an actual family at that very moment was something that he didn't expect to be getting out of his head any time soon.

He still almost wished Lucy hadn't told him, because he really hadn't been able to stop thinking about it for long or look at Lucy and not think, ' _holy fuck, I would have married **that**?!_ ' And right then, looking down to his daughter in Lucy's arms, Bickslow couldn't help but really wonder how things would have been if he'd stayed. Would they have been sitting together and smiling down at _their_ daughter (or son) when she was that age? He just didn't know.

Sighing, Bickslow quietly began, "I know you don't like me bringing up anything about how we were technically supposed to be married and all that, especially since all I've done is joke about it so far, but I mean, it's your fault it's stuck in my head in the first place, so…"

"Bix, what are you thinking about now?" she asked softly as she turned her head just enough to glance down to the Seith mage leaning on her shoulder.

"I'm just thinking about how I'm twenty-four in a couple of months right, but if we hadn't been on Tenrou for all that time, then I'd be turning thirty-one instead."

"Okay…"

"Well… You know that if I'd actually stayed and hadn't left right before I turned eighteen, then we obviously would have been married once you turned sixteen. Which is seriously just a little weird and I'm just a little surprised they still haven't changed that law, because I would have been like nineteen and a half by the time we actually got married." He paused just long enough to tell himself to stop getting off topic, then, with another sigh, he slowly said, "But that's not the point. The point is that if I'd stayed, and if you'd stayed for those two years until you were old enough, neither of us would have joined the guild and we wouldn't have gone to Tenrou for the S-Class promotions at all."

"Which means right now, we technically would have been married for more than ten years, because I'd be twenty-seven and not twenty," Lucy finished. She'd quickly figured out what it was Bickslow had been trying to say once he'd mentioned Tenrou Island, and just hearing the words she'd said out loud just made it all seem just that little bit more real.

It was still just a scenario that technically should have happened, but that didn't really change anything. Ten, nearly eleven years – depending on when in the year they were married – was a long time to be married for someone, and a lot could happen in that time. Or really, a lot _wouldn't_ have happened in that time, especially if they'd actually been married. Bickslow was right though: they wouldn't have joined the guild, they wouldn't have met the way they did, or known their teams and their best friends. They wouldn't have been frozen on an island for seven years or been to the Grand Magic Games and won. They'd both be stuck in a world that they'd grown up hating and be forced to follow its rules.

Bickslow would've taken over as head of his family's business rather than his brother, Lucy would've no longer been a Heartfilia by name, and they'd have been _married_.

Right then, Lucy couldn't help but think about what their life would have been like at that exact moment in time if things hadn't turned out the way they did, and it only brought a pain to her chest that she hadn't expected.

"How many kids do you think we would have had?" Bickslow suddenly asked thoughtfully as he lifted his head from her shoulder, only leaning forward to rest his chin in his palms with his elbows on his knees and staring off into the space before him. "I mean, we would have had to have at least one because of obvious reasons, but we could have had more than one. Maybe."

Lucy looked away instead of back down to Scarlett, a frown etching on her lips, and she softly said, "I… I don't know."

"Hmm, me neither," Bickslow mumbled. One? Two? Three? He just didn't know. He wasn't even entirely sure why he was thinking about it, but for whatever reason, he was finding it just a little entertaining to picture the life that he could have had should he have stayed with his family. "What about us? Think you would have fallen for me in that time?"

"Bix… Can we—"

He continued before the blonde even got a chance to ask him to stop. She didn't want to be having that conversation any longer, but Bickslow was yet to realise it. "Eh, I doubt you would have," he said with another sigh. "Considering you're set on no one finding my _Bickslow charm_ attractive. Not that it even would have existed, because I probably would have been a completely different person to what I am now if I'd stayed. Not to mention the entire forced marriage thing. Yeah, that's totally a great way to start a _loving_ relationship. Still would've knocked you up though. At least once."

Quickly, before Bickslow could start rambling once again and before the tears in her eyes - the ones that she absolutely hated and the same ones she didn't want to ever have to explain to Bickslow – spilled over, she rose to her feet, keeping Scarlett cradled in her arms. Doing her best to avoid looking at Bickslow, she quickly said, "I'm um… I'm just going to go put her down somewhere quiet since you have a few more things to do today, like finish painting and… And getting the rest of her nursery furniture put together…"

Bickslow could only watch in confusion as the blonde turned down the hall and no doubt towards his bedroom to put Scarlett in the bassinet. He had an unshakeable feeling that he'd done something to upset her in some way, but he really had no idea where it had come from, or how he would have even managed to do so in the first place. She didn't seem like anything was wrong, but Bickslow just felt like there was all of a sudden.

"Babies?" He blinked as only four of the souls in their wooden bodies floated down and hovered around him, the fifth, Pappa, going to stay with Scarlett and following Lucy. "Did I do something?"

"You're still not very good at talking to girls, Bickslow," Poppo said quietly.

Bickslow frowned. It was the truth, unfortunately. Flirting and just generally pissing them off was easy, but talking was something else entirely that he was still figuring out sometimes. And with Lucy… Bickslow just really didn't want to actually fuck up _talking_ to her, because he'd already done that. "Was it something I said?" he mused, staring up at the floating dolls. "It was probably the entire marriage and kids thing, right? Ah, fuck. Why the hell did I even say that?" He only groaned and dropped his face to his hands, all while internally cursing his stupidity.

Yeah, great, Bickslow was realising that considering all things, being forced to be with Lucy probably would have been the only upside to the entire forced married thing. Even if they both would have been close to being completely different people, having not joined the guild and met everyone and become who they were right then, they still would have been themselves, in a way. They would have been in a completely different world – one they hated – and they would have been married and they'd have at least one child together, just because they would have had to.

Things wouldn't have been all terrible, because they could have been. Hell, he probably would have started making jokes (that would probably be quite serious after a while) about how they could run away and join a mage guild and leave behind the world they didn't want to be a part of.

But still, right then, Bickslow wasn't thinking of what life they could have had, had things happened differently. He was thinking of just how he'd managed to upset Lucy. Even if he had realised over the years that he'd known her that she was, for the most part, good at hiding how she felt, especially when she was upset, Bickslow could tell when things weren't right with her. And right then, he was more sure of that and he just didn't know how or why. Before, it had just been inklings and suspicions that there was something else going on with her, because she'd always act just a little differently when she was down. But then, it wasn't that. He was sure he'd upset her.

"I've gotta go say sorry," he mumbled, quickly rising to his feet. He didn't really know what he was saying sorry for, other than upsetting her, but he had to.

Walking down the hall, he cut her off just as she was coming out of his bedroom. Her head was down as she pulled the door closed and only left it a little ajar, but he could see her drop her hand from her face. _Is she… Is she crying?_ It hurt Bickslow to even think about the possibility that he had made her even want to cry without even realising what he'd done to do that.

Before she even had a chance to look up, Bickslow quickly stepped forward and pulled the blonde into his arms, wrapping them tightly around her back. He sighed as he turned his head to rest his cheek on the top of her head, and before Lucy could say anything, he softly said, "I feel like you need a hug right now, and I know you probably don't want one from me since I'm the one that upset you, but I still want to give you a hug. Because I'm sorry."

It took Lucy a moment to relax against Bickslow, having quickly found herself with her face pressed against his chest and right below his chin. Did she need a hug? Lucy was realising that she did, and she really didn't care if Bickslow was the one to give her one. He really did give the best hugs and was the perfect height for her anyway. It was just that Lucy didn't quite understand why he needed to apologise for anything. It wasn't really Bickslow's fault that she was upset and crying, even if it was his words that had caused it. It wasn't like he had any clue what they'd do to her though, and she sure as hell didn't want Bickslow to ever know.

Nodding silently, she wound her arms around Bickslow's waist, a quiet sigh escaping her as she slowly closed her eyes – if anything, it was in an attempt to stop herself from crying in front of him and _on_ him. That was really the last thing she needed, and she could only hope that telling herself to stop over and over in her head would actually work. "You don't have anything to apologise for," she mumbled with another sigh.

"Yeah I do," Bickslow replied instantly. "I know you're upset because of something I said, or maybe something I did, so of course I have to say sorry, because I hate knowing that I even made you _want_ to cry."

"You… You didn't." _Damn it, Lucy. Get yourself together. Don't cry._

He frowned when he heard a muffled sob come from her then, and Bickslow could only try and pull her in tighter against him. As much as Bickslow had thought making a joke about how their entire marriage probably wouldn't have lasted that long before they decided to just run away and join a mage guild to get a divorce would be something that would make her laugh (possibly at him, too), he didn't think so anymore. He just expected it to do more harm than good if he said it then, so he kept his jokes to himself.

Instead, he quietly said, "Well, I still promise to never talk about the entire marriage thing again. No more talking about how you definitely wouldn't have ended up falling in love with me and no more questions about how many kids we would have had." Feeling the blonde in his arms tense for just the barest of moments as another cry was smothered some, Bickslow's brow furrowed. Without a doubt, it had to have been something he'd said, but Bickslow still couldn't place what it was. He knew that it had something to do with how things could have been, but that was it. Not wanting to make the situation any worse though and putting aside how suddenly worried he was about Lucy, Bickslow added, "But for now, I'm just going to shut up before I make you hate me or I hate myself any more for upsetting you."

"Please d-don't hate y-yourself," she sniffled.

"Can't help it. But you know that if… If you ever want to talk about anything, or even just to call me out on something and tell me what _not_ to say, then you can. I'm pretty good at keeping secrets, y'know. You'd be surprised what I know because of the babies."

Lucy only let out a weak laugh before burying her head in his chest. She realised it wasn't all that surprising that he'd know probably far too many things about those in the guild, and things that he was obviously not supposed to know. That didn't mean Lucy would tell him just why she hadn't been able to stop herself from crying, no matter how good he claimed to be at secret-keeping. "I'll keep that in mind," she whispered.

And so with that, they stayed like that in the hall. Lucy didn't expect to find being in Bickslow's arms so comforting, but she did, and it was what she needed to calm down and get her thoughts back to a place she actually liked, and Bickslow just had no issues with holding her until she was okay again. Lunch, doing the second coat of paint in the nursery and finishing up a few other things could all wait. To Bickslow, making sure Lucy was fine was more important than all of those, even if he still didn't exactly know how he'd upset her in the first place.

Not yet, anyway. One day, though, he hoped to find out, whether it be something stupid or not. All he had to do for now was make good on his promise.

* * *

Like Lucy had every other morning and time she'd been to Bickslow's that week, she walked up to his door with a smile on her face. Her weekend had been fabulous, and also spent with Bickslow, and despite crying for a small portion of it, she still found herself preferring to be at Bickslow's rather than at the guild. She didn't quite understand it, but she just didn't care all that much. Bickslow made her laugh and she was happy spending time with him, and Scarlett – who was still being called Scout every now and then because Bickslow had still yet to get the name out of his head – was too adorable not to see every day.

As she pushed the painted black door open and gently closed it behind herself again, Lucy wasn't all that surprised to see the living area empty. The majority of the boxes and bags that had been scattered around on his table and counters were gone, with the nursery upstairs being mostly done by that point anyway. But Bickslow was also nowhere to be seen, so like she had the day before when she'd arrived in the morning, Lucy headed down the hall after hanging her bag over the back of a chair at the dining table.

Just the day before when she'd gotten there, she'd found Bickslow sitting up in the middle of his bed with one of the books they'd bought nearly a week earlier sitting in his lap, looking quite comfortable surrounded by his pillows. His black rimmed glasses on (something Lucy had only just found out he needed occasionally because he got some pretty bad eye strain and horrible headaches every now and then from constantly suppressing his magic, and the glasses made it easier to read sometimes), coffee sitting on one of the nightstands, and his daughter wriggling around just beside him so he could look down and check on her every minute, all wrapped up in her blanket to keep her warm.

This day, though, she wouldn't have been surprised if she found something similar. She had woken up early from a nightmare (or at least, it was what she was calling a nightmare because it was yet another night where the stupid Seith mage had been what she saw in her dream world. It was the third night in a row she had dreamt of Bickslow, and it was driving her insane because she just had no idea why it was even happening) and she hadn't really known what else to do with her time. It wasn't worth going to the guild, and it wasn't outrageously early, anyway, but it was early enough that she figured Bickslow would be awake. Besides, he owed her breakfast again, and like he would for the next week.

As she walked down the hall and towards the bedroom, her first guess as to where Bickslow would be, she ended up finding Bickslow in the hall, right as he came out of the bathroom. He was rubbing a towel over his head and wearing just light grey jeans, that to Lucy, sat almost _deliciously_ low on his hips, leaving his entire torso bare, and Lucy was realising that he was a whole lot better looking up close. The only problem though, aside from the fact that Lucy was sure she had seen what her eyes were telling her was actually black ink through the light trail of dark blue hair right above the visible waistband of his briefs, was that Bickslow had no idea she was in the hall.

And it was almost a shame, really, because in the few incredibly short seconds it had taken him to come out of the bathroom with the towel over his head and shielding his eyes, Lucy had only really caught a glimpse of what was under all of his shirts, and she was really almost wishing it had been more than a glimpse.

But still, the real problem was that with Bickslow being unaware she was there, he only managed to blindly turn out into his hall and collide with her. Lucy had of course tried to side step the Seith mage too, but she hadn't moved fast enough or been able to get a single word out in the few seconds it had taken for him to walk out and into her, and she could only let out a quiet yelp in her shock, because she was sure she was going to fall flat on her ass because of that idiot.

Except she didn't, because as soon as Bickslow had realised that what he'd run into in his hall was not a soft wall that had suddenly appeared, but it was in fact a person, he quickly snaked an arm around their back as his free hand gripped the doorframe of the laundry door to keep himself steady, dropping the towel from his hand in the process.

All he could do was stare down at the same blushing blonde who had literally been at the centre of his dreams for the last three fucking days. Granted, they'd been very, _very_ pleasant dreams, but if he had to wake up to the babies giving him hell about it one more time, he was probably going to lose what was left of his sanity. And at that point, he was borderline clinically insane as it was.

So there they were, frozen in the hall and staring at each other in silence and shock, with Bickslow still leaning over with the blonde supported in one arm just a couple of feet from the ground, with her holding on to that same arm like her life depended on it. And to her, it felt like it did, though part of her really did wish he hadn't caught her and that she'd landed on the floor. It would be much less awkward, and Bickslow could whole heartedly agree with that, because right then, all he could think about was how easy it would be to just lean down and seal those perfectly soft and plump lips of hers with his own. Or pull her up and do the same thing. How didn't really matter, because literally all Bickslow cared about right then was getting to kiss her at all.

But he couldn't do that. Because aside from being too damn perfect if he could kiss her again, it would just be too damn weird. And it would just make things so incredibly difficult for Bickslow. The last few days after Lucy's _experiment_ had been hard enough for him as it was, with him still trying to figure out just what it was he felt around her and especially when they got just a little too close.

It was almost as if being around Lucy over the last few days had been like he was trying to kick a bad habit, but the temptation was still constantly there. Lucy was his temptation, and she was constantly there, and she had no fucking clue what she had done to him, his mind and god knows what else, all from a damn _kiss_. One that he wanted to have again, because holy hell had it been more than great. For a kiss, that is. The problem was that he didn't want to actually want Lucy so badly. He just couldn't feel that way, whatever the fuck that way was. He still hadn't quite figured out what that way was. He just knew that he certainly felt differently.

Lucy though, she could barely keep her eyes away from the gloriously tensing muscles in the arm that was holding her… Or his chest, or even his stomach…

Glorious was quite literally the only word that came to her mind then. Bickslow was just… _Glorious_. And sure, she'd seen him without a shirt before when it was hot enough for anyone to use the pool at the guild and she really didn't look a second time (or at least she didn't most of the time), because it was Bickslow and he was one of her best friends, and she wasn't exactly going to blatantly ogle him. Though, she had just once when she'd been drunk and been sitting with Levy, Cana, and Mira, and Lisanna, and Juvia by the pool and there had been a game of volleyball going on in the water and none of the guys playing had been wearing shirts. As Cana had put it once, summer was open season for checking out the eye candy that the guild offered them. The guys seemed to love the _discreet_ attention, and it wasn't like they didn't do the exact same thing to the girls.

But right then, Lucy just didn't quite know what to do with herself. Up close, he was definitely something to look at it, and she was having to remind herself _not_ to move her eyes down. She was sure that if she looked down and tried to see if it was in fact a tattoo hidden beneath his pants, then she would probably not be able to turn her eyes away. Lucy was beginning to think it should be illegal for a man to have hips that good. And he was a guy. They'd just be so perfect for her to wrap her legs around. All she wanted was to see a little bit more of them though… Not much. Just a tiny bit more…

 _Damn it, Lucy. Get your mind out of the gutter! This is **Bickslow** you're thinking about. No. No! No wrapping legs around him. Never. No. Think of something else. Do not think of how glorio—oh, here we go… Jesus fucking Christ, Lucy. Just say something. Anything!_

"…Hi."

Bickslow was pulled from his thoughts and he blinked slowly at the blonde, his fingers wrapped around the doorframe only moving ever so slightly to keep himself braced. _Hi? Is that all she fucking says?_ Bickslow knew she liked to write, so surely she should have been able to come up with something other than ' _hi'_. Little did Bickslow know, of course, was that Lucy really couldn't come up with anything other than that, not when she had a very shirtless Seith mage just above her and keeping her from the ground.

"You're uh…" Bickslow paused to clear his throat, and almost reluctantly, his gaze flicked up to meet her own, rather than her lips. "You're here early." Granted, it wasn't really that early, being only a little after seven, but every other day she'd arrived in the morning it had been at least after eight.

"I-I couldn't sleep," Lucy mumbled as she felt the heat on her cheeks only increase. "And I figured you'd be up anyway."

 _Couldn't sleep?_ If only Bickslow could tell her how he understood that all too well, all because of _her_. He'd only woken up half an hour earlier for the last time that morning, and the images he'd conjured up in his sleep of the same blonde quite literally in his arms right then were still fresh in his mind. It was still making it incredibly difficult to not just kiss her right then, especially so when her tongue darted out to glide across her lips quickly.

She was killing him. Absolutely killing him. And she had no idea she was doing it, and he didn't even know how she was doing it. "Right," he mumbled. "Are you… Are you okay though? I mean, I did kind of bump into you and you did almost fall." Slowly coming back to himself and ignoring the babies giggling in his head and just telling him to kiss the girl, Bickslow couldn't help but worry about the possibility of having hurt her. It was unlikely, but he worried about it, even though she'd have a higher chance of having hurt herself if he hadn't caught her.

"I'm fine, since you did catch me and stop me from landing on my ass…"

The corner of his mouth tugged up into a smirk that only made Lucy glad she was once again not wearing a skirt (and being held up by Bickslow), because if she was, it would probably be up around her waist and she would have been on the Seith mage in a second. No smirk that sinful (and sexy) should be legal. _Dear god, Lucy… Get a hold of yourself._ She'd only been trying to figure out where those feelings were coming from and she'd had the last nearly three days to try and determine just why all she could think about was the stupid Seith mage and his stupid smirk.

"Well, didn't I tell you just the other day that I'd catch you when you fall?"

"I… Y-You… You did, but that was… That was then… Not now," Lucy stammered as she thought back to the first day of painting the nursery where she'd only ended up lying on top of Bickslow. She could only see the similarities in their situations, because once again, Bickslow was failing to let go of her. Or in this case, pull her back up. "But um…" With her face a deep pink and her eyes flicking everywhere but to the shirtless mage above her ( _oh, that wall is pretty!_ ), she mumbled, "I would actually like to get up… You know, stand on my own…"

Silently, and with his smirk still in place, Bickslow straightened up, dropping his hand back to his side as his other arm remained around her waist. Bringing Lucy back up quickly, she only managed collide into him once again as Bickslow took but a single step back, except this time, she was only pressed up against him with her hands lying flat against his chest.

 _Absolutely killing me…_ "Better?" he whispered, his voice slightly husky. His pounding heart in his chest went mostly ignored – he didn't have the time to question why he felt that again – like the babies in his head that only pointed out how Lucy really didn't look like she'd mind all that much if she were to find herself with her back against one of the walls on either side of her. And honestly, Bickslow wasn't doubting it, even though she almost looked like she had no idea what she was doing as her hands slowly grazed down his chest and over his stomach. Slowly and with only feather light touches, but each one was driving him insane and she still didn't know it.

He was sure that if her hands ventured any lower that he wouldn't be able to control himself though, because even right then he was having a hard time doing so. It was Lucy, for crying out loud. He couldn't do anything with her, no matter how much he wanted to or maybe even how much _she_ wanted to. In that moment, Bickslow was more confused about the situation than he had been in the last three days, because it was quickly becoming obvious that something had changed.

Something was very, _very_ different between them ever since that kiss, and neither seemed to know why or what.

Just as slowly as Lucy's hands moved down with her eyes, Bickslow's hand sought her hips, and he turned her carefully in the hall until her back was towards a wall. It was only when Lucy actually felt the wall against her back and Bickslow's arms on either side of her with his hands pressed firmly against the wall did she finally emerge from her daze. Her own hands instantly fell away from where they'd stopped level with his navel, and her eyes quickly shot upwards and to the face that was right in front of hers.

She couldn't quite tell if she was in heaven or hell right then. Her heart was screaming heaven, her head was yelling hell, and everywhere else was just frantically trying to figure just what the actual fuck he had done and was currently doing to her, or was telling her that it didn't fucking matter where she was. His dark eyes, impossibly wicked smirk, and his damp, towel dried hair that only seemed to slowly settle itself however the hell it wanted to were all putting Lucy on the precipice of actually hating the man. He was driving her insane, and that was without opening his goddamn mouth to say anything.

Bickslow wasn't even sure what he was doing, if he were to be perfectly honest. He was vaguely aware he was playing a dangerous game right then, but it didn't really matter. All he had to do was make sure things didn't get out of hand too quickly, because that was bound to happen if he didn't keep himself in check. His eyes only occasionally flicked up towards her own, finding it too hard to tear them away from her slightly parted lips. The way Lucy was then, it was almost as if he was having as much of an effect on her as she did with him. That just couldn't be right though… Could it?

 _Maybe…_

That thought was sure to be one he'd be up all night thinking about at some point, but right then, it only had him leaning in just a _tiny_ bit more, barely anything at all and almost without thinking about it. "Are you okay?" he asked so softly he'd barely heard it himself.

 _Okay? Am I okay?_ Lucy was confused, but with the lump in her throat and her mouth feeling too dry to get a single word out, not that she thought she'd be able to make anything other than some form of whimper, she could only nod quickly, her eyes once again meeting Bickslow's before they flicked back down to his lips.

"Are you sure?" Bickslow asked again as he continued to slowly move his face closer to hers. "You don't need me to stand here just a little bit longer before I go put on a shirt? 'Cause I really don't mind all that much if your hands decide they haven't had enough yet."

She only sucked in a sharp breath at his words, but it did nothing to fix the lack of oxygen going to her head. She was almost dizzy right then. So far past confused, but suddenly wishing she _was_ wearing a skirt, just because it would be so much easier to get out of the way, though she was still incredibly glad she was wearing very _dark_ jeans. Just his damn words – words that shouldn't have made her an almost quivering mess – had made it so there was like a goddamn torrential downpour between her thighs. Lucy could only wonder if that was how Bickslow usually was; if that was the way he was when he was flirting with anyone that wasn't her. It was different to every other time he'd come close to hitting on her, Lucy knew that much.

The problem though? The problem was that Lucy wished it wasn't just his usual brand of flirting that was only ever meant as a harmless joke. _No. No, Lucy. You don't wish that. Damn it. What the hell is going on?_ Her conscience that had made itself scarce was suddenly coming back right at the perfect moment. Quickly, she only managed to shake her head, still not knowing how to speak again. She didn't need Bickslow to stay there, and as much as her hands just itched to be back on him – _anywhere_ – they stayed by her sides, her fingers curling within the fabric of her shirt.

He was almost just a little disappointed though. "Well, the offer will be there when you want to take it…" Bickslow was just about to leave in his hunt for a shirt from the dryer in the laundry when he stopped. He wasn't quite done with Lucy just yet, and it was the almost annoying _need_ for her and the possibility that he wasn't the only one realising something else was drastically different that had Bickslow almost completely closing the last shred of distance between them. "But just as something to keep in mind," he added just as quietly as his lips only barely brushed over hers with each syllable. He couldn't kiss her, not like he wanted to, but he could tease her. That, he was having a feeling he would be very good at now. "It would only be fair if I get to do the same as whatever you do to me. So wherever your hands go on me… Mine go on you."

And just like that, he was pushing away from her with that annoying and stupid smirk on his face, leaving the blonde alone in the hall and staring at the opposite wall for just a moment before Bickslow came back out of the laundry pulling a shirt on over his head as he disappeared down towards the living room.

Lucy didn't even know whether to be mad or glad that he hadn't actually kissed her, but she was closer to mad, if anything. Damn it, she'd wanted him to kiss her! Fuck it all, because she wanted him to do a lot more than kiss her and she had for the last three goddamn days. And at that moment, slumped against the hall and trying to get herself to calm down, Lucy was sure of two things.

One, he was probably going to kill her.

Or two, he was going to make her ruin all of her panties.

One of them was going to happen, if not both of them. And would Bickslow notice just what he was able to do to her? Well, Lucy just didn't know yet. She sure as hell hoped he would notice though, because there was no way she would be able to put up with much more teasing like that before she either threw herself from a bridge to relieve her frustration, or at him. And, well… One of them was a lot more likely than the other.

Slowly coming back into the living room, sure that her face was still the same shade of pink it was when she'd look at herself in a mirror (she'd needed to make sure she didn't look half as horrible as she felt after their hall rendezvous), she could only sigh in relief to see that Bickslow really was fully dressed now. There was nothing to look at apart from his stupid face with that stupid smirk… And the tattoo on his arm that she could see for once, being that he wasn't wearing a shirt with long sleeves.

Seeing the tattoo on his arm again only made Lucy think back to what she thought she'd seen in the hall before. She was sure it had actually been one of the tattoos he said he had but couldn't show her. She was still as curious as she was when he'd said that he had two more, but knowing that just one of them was there and almost level with his hips, well… Lucy could see why he hadn't told her. Or shown her, for that matter. Though with what she had seen, she had no idea what it could be. If it had just been a tiny bit higher, or his clothes had sat a tiny bit lower, she might have been able to have a pretty good guess at what it actually was.

But Lucy had to admit that it was just a little strange how badly she wanted to know what it was, especially considering where it was. For now, though, she would just have to wait to find out. She'd just have to ask Bickslow about it again. If she asked enough, he was sure to crack, right?

Bickslow waited until Lucy was sitting on one of the stools opposite the counter before he finally said anything. As be slowly brought his cup of tea up to his lips, his never faltering smirk still in place just over the thought of what his day would hold, he asked, "So what do you want for breakfast?" Their original deal that he had to cook something new every day she was there and that he couldn't repeat the same dish still held, but he would still ask, just in case she did have something she specifically wanted that particular day.

Her answer though… Well, it wasn't exactly what he'd been expecting. Quickly and completely without thinking, Lucy said, "You." Her eyes went wide as Bickslow arched a brow, only staring at her over the cup he held in one hand. She wasn't supposed to have said that. Not at all. But the incident in the hall was still on her mind, and the worst part was that she really would love to have the Seith mage for breakfast.

Or lunch.

Or dinner.

Or all three.

 _Damn it, Lucy! You **cannot** have Bickslow. _

Clearing her throat quickly in an attempt to correct herself, her eyes flicked nervously away from Bickslow before she mumbled, "Y-You can do whatever you want." _To me. Oh, fuck me… Maybe over this cou—Oh, mother fucker. Just stop thinking already! Damn it!_ "You can make whatever you want, I meant."

"Suit yourself," Bickslow chuckled as he gently placed his mug back down on the counter. He didn't need to look back over his shoulder as he turned to the fridge to know that she was still blushing profusely. And the quiet sigh that slipped past her lips as soon as he'd turned only gave Bickslow another opportunity to tease her. She thought she'd gotten away with her little slip-up, but oh no. Not with Bickslow. "But I'm only on the dessert menu, by the way. Not much of a breakfast person. Well, most of the time."

Lucy was speechless at the comment, and she could only look down to the counter as she desperately and discreetly tried to relieve the ache between her legs by squeezing them together as tightly as she could. Bickslow for dessert? Now that would be a treat she could live off for a good while.

But she never would. Oh no. Right then, no matter how confused she was about how all she wanted right then was the stupid Seith mage, Lucy was adamant on believing that the only reason she was so turned on right then was because she hadn't been laid in seven and a half months. Which, for her, was still a long time. Bickslow being the giant flirt everyone knew him to be was just irrelevant. Or at least, Lucy wanted to believe it was.

He had no effect on Lucy whatsoever.

None at all.

Lucy could only bitterly and silently laugh at her own thoughts. _No effect at all. Yeah, right_. It was a stupid thought, because try as she might to deny it, he had done something to her. She just didn't know what.

So just out of fear of saying something stupid that she didn't really mean, Lucy kept her mouth shut as Bickslow just as silently went about getting his secret breakfast dish ready. Why he had rum out, Lucy could only wonder. Wasn't it just a little bit early to start drinking?

When Bickslow was leaning back against the counter next to the stove as he waited for the pan to heat up so he could fry what Lucy had eventually realised was French toast (or at the very least, a twist on French toast since it involved sliced bananas), Lucy found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the tattoo on the inside of one forearm that was facing towards her. She just couldn't get it out of her head, and she really didn't think she would.

She was far too inquisitive to let it go. That's just the type of person she was.

Lifting her head slightly from where it was resting in her palm with her elbow on the bench, she finally broke her vow of silence and hoped to hell that she wouldn't say anything stupid. "Bix?" He looked up suddenly from where he'd been staring at the floor, his eyebrows slightly raised questioningly. Her brow became furrowed as the heat on her face only came back once again, and quietly, Lucy nervously began, "Your um… Your tattoos. I remember that you said you have three, and I obviously know about the one on your arm…"

He only quickly glanced down to the tattoo at the mention of it before he looked back to Lucy, waiting for her to just spit out whatever it was she was trying to say or ask, because Bickslow just had no idea where she was going with it. _Why bring up this again?_ He thought she'd drop it after they'd talked about them in the first place.

"But the other two," Lucy continued, still refusing to meet Bickslow's gaze. "One of them is on your um… Stomach… Right?" She just didn't quite know what to call where it sat, but she knew it was too low to be his stomach. She was not, however, going to start thinking about the anatomically correct terms. Not for that region. Oh no. She would sooner die from overheating.

Bickslow blinked. He'd been about to wonder just how she'd known, considering just three days earlier she'd had no ideas he had any at all (seriously, he'd been just a little surprised she hadn't seen even the top of it in all the years he'd had that tattoo and she'd been in the guild, but he'd only put it down to the blonde not being the type to look there), but then his questioning thoughts were cut off when he thought back to what had happened in the hall not even half an hour earlier.

 _So she **was** looking, huh? _ Granted, it was high enough that he never had it entirely covered, but low enough she'd have no idea what it was. But Lucy was giving him far too many opportunities to tease her that morning, and Bickslow was not going to waste a single one of them now.

Seeing the slow and wicked smirk set on his lips and his eyes dancing with something that Lucy was sure she should be just a little scared of, she could only worry about just what was going through Bickslow's head.

"Oh. You mean this one?" His hands came away from the counter behind him and he slowly began to lift the hem of his shirt up. It was so slow it was almost painful for Lucy to watch, and she didn't quite know why. But then a thumb was hooked into the waistband of his underwear, and teasingly, he pushed it down enough to have Lucy's coffee eyes just making out half of the 'E' of ' _me'_ between the confines of the narrowing ridges of his muscles that disappeared even lower.

And then he folded his arms, and just as quickly as it started, his tease was over. "Yeah. It is," he answered finally. He couldn't show her and he wouldn't show her. Never in a million years, because even when he was really feeling like he _needed_ her right then for whatever stupid reason, he had to get over it. She was still off limits to him, and she always would be. It didn't matter that, technically, he _could_ actually show her just what it said and _her_ dignity would remain intact, because she really wouldn't see much more of him than she had already.

He just wouldn't show her, and she wasn't going to know what it was.

But was Lucy frustrated right then? Just a little. So it was letters and not something else. That didn't help much, and it only had her wanting to know what it said all the more. It just wasn't fair.

* * *

"Just tell me already!"

Bickslow rolled his eyes for what really felt like the billionth time that day. "No," he said firmly, once again, only following the blonde into his lounge room. "I've probably told you a hundred times by now that you are _not_ seeing it."

Lucy huffed and sat herself down on the lounge, her arms crossing over her ample chest and her legs doing the same under her. "You don't have to show me," she argued. "Just tell me what it says and I'll drop it."

All morning, afternoon, and well into the night, Lucy had been getting on Bickslow's case about his tattoo. Bickslow had thought his little tease would be the end of it, once and for all – or for at least a little while – but it had really only made things worse. He was actually beginning to regret doing what he'd done in the first place, because all he'd done was give her a taste, and now she wanted more. She was too damn curious, and way too fucking persistent.

She was so annoyingly persistent that Bickslow's resolve was wearing thin. He was too tempted to just tell her what it said so she really would drop it, but he really didn't want to do that. He was too stubborn to do that, so he held his ground. Well… For the most part. She'd annoyed him so much that he'd told her what his third tattoo actually was – the red lips on the side of his ass – with the hope that it would be enough for her to forget about the one on his pelvis, but that had also only made things worse. She needed to complete her knowledge of his tattoos.

She didn't care about the one on his arm, or the one on his ass. No. She wanted to know what the other one was, and even if Lucy had wanted to, she just couldn't drop it.

Lucy really didn't need to see it though. She knew it was words rather than an image of some sort, so all she needed was for Bickslow to just say what it said. Why couldn't Bickslow see that it was a simple fix? She was well aware of just how much she was annoying him, and she was just a little proud that she had even had him locking himself in his bedroom for some peace and quiet from the noisiest blonde in his house. Strangely enough, his daughter was not the noisiest blonde that day.

But Lucy had only come in through the bathroom and the closet that connected the two rooms, and that had only ended with Bickslow laughing almost pitifully at himself and a little hysterically over how annoyed he was by her, and he knew she took great pleasure in it. She was refusing to leave him alone, and for the first time in the years he had known the woman, he was beginning to really see why she had Natsu and Gray so goddamn whipped. She always got what she wanted, but Bickslow was being just as annoyingly persistent with her _not_ finding out what it said.

Hell, he'd take it to the fucking grave and she wouldn't even find out about it then. He'd make sure his tombstone only said ' _I'M STILL NOT TELLING YOU WHAT IT SAYS, COSPLAYER,_ ' and that his casket was unable to be opened or destroyed once he was in it and it was closed. That's how stubborn _he_ was. What could he say? It was a family trait.

But right then, with the night once again drawing to a close, neither one had yet to give in. Lucy hadn't dropped it, and Bickslow wasn't going to tell her what it said. They'd been at it long enough that he was really beginning to see the humour in it.

So he stood there with a smirk on his face and his arms folded as he shrugged once. "The answer's still no, Cosplayer." When she huffed and looked away, settling herself in against the back of the lounge, he only arched a brow. "Oh, don't tell me you're _pouting_ now?"

Lucy shrugged. "Maybe," she muttered. "All of this would be over if you'd just tell me what it says, but _nooo_ …"

"What are you, like five?"

"No."

"You sure about that?" He chuckled when she only shot him a dark glare before making a point of looking away again. So she turned into a kid when she didn't get her way. _How fucking adorable._

Now, Bickslow was realising another opportunity was presenting itself, and one that would actually be of benefit to him at a later point of time. He had a pouting, stubborn as all hell twenty-year-old woman with the mental age of the five-year-old sitting on his lounge. He was now a parent. And what do parents do when they have children misbehaving and not listening? They take away something they want. Or at least, he thought they did. He couldn't really remember much of his childhood.

Quickly stepping forward and unfolding his arms, he sighed and said, "Well, if you're gonna act like a kid, I'll treat you like one." Her eyes went wide at what almost sounded like a threat, and she only shrieked when she found herself being picked up from the lounge and then thrown over his shoulder. "No dessert for you, missy."

"B-Bickslow!" she shrieked as her hands clambered to grab hold of something – his shirt, apparently – to get a decent grip, despite feeling his arms hooking around her waist and her thighs to keep her there. Their conversation from breakfast about just who was on the dessert menu was forgotten as Bickslow slowly turned to no doubt carry her out into the living room. "Put me down!"

"No." It was time for Miss Stubborn-Annoying-Borderline-Being-Called-A-Bitch-By-Bickslow to go home. She'd been there for more than twelve hours as it was, and Bickslow could only handle so much of stubborn Lucy in one day. Even he had his limits.

"Put me down!" Lucy ordered, though she couldn't stop the giggle from slipping past her lips. She tried her best to kick her legs to get him to stop, but she didn't expect it to do much anyway. But when she unclasped her hands from his shirt and instead reached down just too barely dig her fingers into his side, just below his ribs…

That was when he dropped her suddenly and a series of curses quickly left his own mouth with what sounded like half a laugh. When Lucy got up, not even caring that she'd been dropped, because it really hadn't hurt that much, she only arched a brow when Bickslow took a step back and eyed her cautiously while keeping his distance from her suddenly.

Was he scared of her right then? Definitely. But was it because she'd hurt him? No. It was because it had fucking _tickled_ , and along with spring, laughter, apples, plus many other things, tickling was his weakness. Even in the hall that morning, Lucy's hands had been torturous for him. That's why he was scared of Lucy right then.

Her head tilted to the side curiously as she took another step forward, and Bickslow took another two back. "Bix?"

"Uh-huh?"

"You're not scared of me, are you?" she asked softly, only revelling in the strange fear that crossed his face when his back hit the wall separating the lounge room and the kitchen.

Bickslow shook his head. "N-Nope."

"Then why do you look so…" She trailed off as she slowly raised her hand to his side again, and the flinch and quirk of his lips it earned from the man as her fingertips only lightly brushed the same spot she'd touched before only had Lucy grinning wickedly. He wasn't, was he? "You're ticklish there."

"Nope."

"Yes."

He sighed and quickly wrapped his hands around her shoulders to abruptly push her away to try and get away from the evil blonde. "Okay, so maybe I am just a little." _Or a lot._ "But don't think—Lucy, no! Don't you—" He couldn't even finish his damn sentence before he was too busy trying to swat her hands away from his midsection. How she'd moved so quickly, he had no idea. No words could be formed around his own laughter that was caused by her damn hands, and before long, the only sound in his house then was both their laughter.

Neither really knew just what was going on, but the issue of Lucy wanting to find out what his tattoo said was long forgotten by the both of them when they only found themselves on the floor – mostly with Bickslow trying to get away from the evil woman whom he was sure had a new life mission of making his life a living hell.

It was when he managed to escape her clutches for just a moment that Bickslow also managed to quickly turn it around, and quickly pushing her onto her back on the carpeted floor, he had both her hands pinned above her head between one of his own, while his other only wreaked as much havoc on her as she had done to him. He wasn't the only one in the room who was far too sensitive to that kind of torture, and the squealing, giggling and squirming blonde beneath him was going to learn that Bickslow didn't lose.

Not even in a tickle war.

"Fu-Fuck, Bix," she laughed as his fingers swapped to her other side and had her reflexively trying to curl away from the torture he was inflicting on her. "St—" Words were a lost cause, as she was only just realising, because each only seemed to morph into another squeal that barely rang out over Bickslow's own laughter.

He liked her laugh though. Hell, he _loved_ her laugh, along with the way that it didn't even seem to stop when he stopped tickling her and gently released her wrists. Her smile, and her goddamn eyes, even when they were closed, were what he loved the most about her though. Apart from her personality and her soul. It wasn't really her looks, or really, her body, contrary to what everyone thought. Not with Lucy. No, there were so many other better things that made Lucy beautiful, and to Bickslow, that's what she was. He'd always thought that, or at least, since they'd actually become friends.

But right then, he couldn't help but wonder if she knew just how beautiful she was. Surely she had to – enough people probably told her every time she left her apartment. But… That would just be superficial beauty, wouldn't it? It really wasn't just her looks that made her beautiful to Bickslow, and as her eyes slowly opened and her laughter slowly faded, Bickslow really couldn't tear his eyes away from her own. He wasn't looking to her lips with a hint of a smile on them that were slightly open as she tried to catch her breath, or to her flushed cheeks, or even to her heaving chest. No. It was her eyes.

There was more to her than her looks, and Bickslow knew that. He'd known that for a while. It was who she was as a person that made her beautiful. She wasn't the princess like everyone thought, and she wasn't happy every single day of the goddamn year. She wasn't perfect, either, because everyone had their flaws. Even Lucy Heartfilia had a few of them, but they were nothing compared to everything else.

She was… She was kind, and she was caring, and she was helpful… Bickslow was only just realising the extent of that, with all that she'd already done for her with Scarlett. She was the kind of person that everyone needed in their life, because she was the kind of person that made everyone else around her just that little bit happier, and even without trying or maybe even noticing. She was the stupid _Light of the Guild_ , but that's what made her beautiful, inside and out.

But Bickslow didn't quite know why he was thinking about all of that again. Especially right then. Everything was just so out of place and he had no idea what was happening around him, because he was back to needing Lucy. It really wasn't about wanting her. It almost hurt… Well, he didn't quite know what it was hurting, other than it was somewhere deep inside of him, but it was something, that's how much he felt like he needed her. And he didn't know why it was like that again.

He just didn't understand a single thing that was going on right then, and it almost scared him.

But then…

Then, Lucy's hands were reaching up to lace behind his neck, and she was pulling him down until his lips were on hers. All thoughts halted, the babies in his head shut up for what felt like the first time in their eternal lives, and everything almost… Fell away when he kissed her back. It didn't seem to hurt as much anymore though, and he just didn't understand it.

Lucy wasn't even quite sure herself what she was doing though. She'd only done what she'd felt like was what she'd needed to do, because it had almost felt as if she was being pulled towards him, and that terrified her. It hadn't been about the tattoo, or how much he'd teased her that morning. It was something else, but the feeling creeping up on her as she'd calmed down had only made her realise she'd needed to do something about it, and somehow, kissing him was what she'd needed to do.

She was almost dizzy again when they barely pulled apart, their foreheads still touching and Bickslow still hovering just above her. Something was so very different, but it still wasn't wrong. At least, it still didn't feel like it. Something still felt right, and it was becoming a truly terrifying thought.

Bickslow was the first to open his eyes, and he could only sigh in defeat as he gently dropped himself to lean on his elbow. "What are you doing to me?" he whispered.

He wanted to hate Lucy for whatever it was she'd done, but he couldn't. She was killing him and now everything was just so much worse. He didn't need to be worrying about just what that _something_ was, and he didn't need to be needing Lucy as much as he did. He hadn't wanted things to change, but everything had, and even when they didn't know why, they both knew that nothing was quite the same anymore. He could see that she had realised, and he needed her to give him an answer.

Lucy only frowned as she slowly opened her own eyes, and the confusion and fear in his scarlet eyes had Lucy feeling just a little relieved. Considering all things, it was nice to know that she wasn't the only one who was lost with everything that was coming up so quickly.

But what was she doing to him? Lucy didn't know that either, and as much as she wanted to be able to give him that answer, she just couldn't. "I could ask you the same thing."

* * *

 _ **I really did mean a lot happens, hehe. But... I promise it will all make sense eventually. Everything that needed to happen, actually happened. And all of this, needed to happen now.**_

 _ **Anyway. So if anyone remembers a while back when I originally posted the prologue/first chapter, that I actually had Bix as being 22. I did update it before I posted Chapter 2, so he's actually 23, and is, in fact, turning 24 in this story. I just needed to adjust the timeline a bit.**_

 _ **If anyone was interested, I will be writing another one-shot for this once it's done. (The LaLu and BrOTP BixLu one that is a prequel to this will be coming before this story is actually finished, and it will most definitely tie in with some parts in this, but it won't be necessary to read since it's more of a backstory on their friendship if anything). It will be about what happens if Bix stayed with his family, and they actually ended up getting married...**_

 _ **And speaking of Bix's family... His last name will be mentioned in the next chapter, finally! As for when that chapter will be, I don't know... Because it's just going to be one of those chapters. I'll just put it out there now that this story really is rated M for a reason.**_

 ** _Hope you enjoyed this chapter._**

 ** _Until next time._**

 ** _\- April_**


	6. Trick or Treat?

**A/Ns:** _I'm just going to be over here in the corner, pretending that I didn't write this..._

* * *

Bickslow looked up to the window with the drawn curtains just behind the lounge when he heard a knock on the door. It was two o'clock in the morning, who the fuck was knocking on his door at that time? It was far too late for any trick-or-treaters – no, he'd dealt with them earlier in the night, in between being bitter and sleep deprived because he had a two-week old daughter who was apparently deciding to making it her life goal to cry as much as possible, and because he hadn't seen Lucy since she'd left the night before.

She hadn't come over that day, and Bickslow kind of knew why. Tickle war turned… Something else. Yeah, it had been a less than splendid way to end the night, because all Bickslow had done after that was press his face into the lounge and call himself stupid a million times over. And, he also wondered just what in the actual fuck was happening.

He'd come to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe, he liked her. Just a little bit. Maybe. That was just the only thing that made sense, or at least, Bickslow wanted it to make sense because it just didn't feel like it was just that. There was just that something else there that made it all so much more confusing, and it was almost as confusing as the fact that his day had honestly fucking sucked because Lucy hadn't been there, and it was only why he'd been lying on his lounge in the middle of the night while his daughter slept and drinking all alone.

Because he really, really needed to do that. It didn't help that he was just a little disappointed that he hadn't been able to go to the guild for the Halloween party, but Bickslow had come to accept that he'd be missing a lot of things like that in the future, now that he had someone completely relying on him.

Sitting up with a groan as he put the glass down on a coaster on the coffee table next to the bottle of whisky, Bickslow trudged around it and to the door. Two a.m. was way too late for visitors, even in his world, so when he pulled the door open, he really didn't know who or what to expect, considering the last time he'd opened the door when there'd been a knock at it, he'd found a baby.

But once he opened the door, he only blinked, and stared, because _holy hell_ how was he _not_ supposed to stare? "Cosplayer?"

She threw up her arms as her mouth split into a wide grin. "Bixy!" she giggled excitedly. "Trick or treat!"

"Treat, I hope," he mumbled, and he stepped back so the blonde could stumble her way through the door. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her as as she made her way past him and into his home, not when she was dressed as a fucking schoolgirl. From the killer heels that made her ass look better than it usually did beneath the pleated and way too short (not that Bickslow was complaining) black and red skirt, to the white short-sleeved blouse she had tied just below her breasts and over the black lacy bra that was really impossible not to stare at.

But she wasn't there so Bickslow could stare at her and wonder just what she really looked like beneath all of her clothes (unless she was, in which case that would make him very happy). But… Why _was_ she there? It was two o'clock in the goddamn morning, she was obviously at least a little drunk, and she was at his house. Closing the door behind him and locking it again, he turned back to Lucy while trying not to stare too hard when she walked through the kitchen and bent over to pull her heels off rather clumsily and drop them down to the floor. Bickslow was sure he made some sort of strangled noise when he saw the bright orange thong she had on, and he felt himself harden at just the sight of her.

God, she was killing him. Again. Or still, really, and if Bickslow wasn't totally convinced he was going to hell, he was then at what was going through his mind.

Clearing his throat quietly as he watched her go over to his fridge and open it up, he asked, "What are you doing here?" _Oh, yes. Good job. Nice voice, asshole. Now she totally knows how much she's turning you on. Motherfucker._

Lucy shrugged as she turned back around, a bottle of water in her hands. "I wanted to see how my new favourite daddy was doing." Pausing just as the words left her mouth and Bickslow only stared at her in shock, Lucy slowly began to giggle and said, "That didn't sound as weird in my head."

"You think…?"

But in truth, she really was there to see how Bickslow was doing. Well, sort of. Lucy hadn't quite known where she'd been going once she left the guild just a little while earlier, not until she found herself passing her house and heading towards the area Bickslow lived in. Lucy could remember that Halloween was his favourite holiday, and she had honestly felt just a little bad that he hadn't been able to go to the party – partly because he had a newborn daughter, and partly because everyone assumed he was out of town with Laxus and the rest of the Raijinshuu.

It didn't help that all night (and day), Lucy hadn't been able to get her mind off of the stupid Seith mage though. She had almost gone over to Bickslow's house that afternoon before she'd had to get herself ready for the guild's Halloween party, because already, it had become part of her routine to get up and go to Bickslow's in the morning, and leave way too late at night. And honestly, she had almost missed Bickslow during the day, and then even more at the guild because Halloween just wasn't the same without him, strangely. It was the one time of the year where he just gave no fucks whatsoever about what he did. He went over the top, always, and he always seemed to make the night just that little bit more entertaining. But that night, it had been as if Lucy was the only one who had noticed how different it was with Bickslow not being able to be there. It just hadn't been the same to Lucy, but it wasn't as if Bickslow constantly being on her thoughts that day had stopped her from having a good time.

She wasn't drunk though. Not even close. She was a lightweight, she knew that very well, and she hadn't had anywhere near as much to drink as everyone else had. At best, she was tipsy, but she knew full well what she was doing, and her brain was functioning to an extent. Sort of.

When she glanced over to the coffee table on the other side side of the room, she saw the short glass and the bottle with the label she couldn't quite make out in the dim room. "Oh? Drinking alone?" she almost teased, looking back up to Bickslow as she placed the unopened bottle of water on the counter, and slowly walked towards him.

"Uh, yeah, I guess," he mumbled.

She hummed in thought as she looked back to it. "What are you drinking then?" she asked, but then when Bickslow's mouth opened and he was most likely about to give her the simple answer, Lucy only got a better idea and her lips twisted into a smirk as she quickly cut Bickslow off before he could even get a word out, "Oh! No, let me guess!" Before he could even question just what that meant, Lucy was standing on her toes and pulling Bickslow down so their lips were together.

It surprised Bickslow, truly, but was he going to pull away (or even push Lucy back)? Hell fucking _no_. He just pulled her closer, his fingers almost digging into her hips as he let her taste all that she fucking wanted to. He wasn't going to stop her, because he was certain that she didn't want him to. Oh no. She wanted something else, and Bickslow was perfectly fine with that and how she arched into his chest as his hands slid down to squeeze her ass over her skirt.

"You drink the same thing as Laxus," Lucy murmured, and Bickslow only hummed against her neck before he quickly gripped her thighs and lifted her up, and sat her down on the edge of the counter and pushed her legs apart to stand between them. "But it tastes so much better on you," she added just as quietly. She'd recognised the taste of it immediately, because it was the only thing Laxus ever drank it seemed, and she had always been able to taste that same sixteen-year-old whisky he loved so much on his lips, and she had hated it. She wasn't a whisky fan in the slightest, and she really hadn't enjoyed the smoky taste that always lingered.

On Bickslow though… Well, on Bickslow, she just really happened to love that smoky taste and how she could taste that sweetness behind it.

"Is that so?"

"Uh-huh."

"You probably shouldn't tell Sparky that though," Bickslow murmured, his voice low as he looked back up to her flushed face and dark eyes. "He'd probably kill me. Definitely not you, because it would be a shame to rid the world of someone as gorgeous as you. Pretty sure guys everywhere would cry if they didn't have you to jerk off over."

Another giggle escaped, and her head tipped back to only collide with the cabinet behind her. "That was almost sweet."

"It's true," Bickslow chuckled. Hell, he was including himself in that too. He dropped his head once again to graze his lips down the side of her neck, kissing his way down to her shoulder as his hands slowly slid up her thighs and under her skirt until he was brushing over the lace material. Something was holding him back than doing anything other than what he was doing, and he vaguely knew what it was.

It was that Lucy was his friend, and he honestly valued her too much as a friend to fuck it up, no matter how much he wanted her right then, or maybe even how much _she_ wanted _him_ , and Bickslow was sure that if she didn't want his hands all over her, then she would have put a stop to it before anything had fucking started. If anything, Bickslow just wanted to make sure she knew what she was doing and wouldn't regret anything. Was it a bit sentimental? Probably, but he really just cared about her too much as a friend to fuck anything up between them as it was, despite how confused he still was about everything.

"Why are you here, Cosplayer?"

Wasn't it simple? Because she couldn't get him off her damn mind and she really needed more than just a really fucking great kiss or two. Lucy would have thought Bickslow would be able to see that. "Because," she answered, trying to pull the Seith mage closer with her hands reaching for his hips, right as he pulled her to the very edge of the counter with his hands still behind her. "I thought you might want to see what I was going as for Halloween this year since you couldn't see it tonight."

 _Fuck it. That's good enough._ "You know I did, but I'm much more interested in seeing it off you right now." Or even just some of it off her and on the floor somewhere. He wasn't that picky, really.

"Then take it all off for all I care."

Bickslow grinned as he brought his head back up, and a hand dipped between them and beneath her skirt again. _That's more like it._ He was going to have some fun with this. How could he not? He had Lucy dressed as a fucking schoolgirl sitting on his kitchen counter, and somewhere deep down, Bickslow was pretty sure Laxus would kill him if he ever found out about them. _But what Laxus doesn't know won't kill him._ "Is that what you want me to do?"

 _Hell fucking yes. Please._ She just wanted Bickslow to do something, rather than just fucking have his hands on her or even kiss her. She needed so much more than that all of a sudden, and she really didn't quite understand any of it still, because for the life of her, she still didn't know what he was doing to her. "Is it what you want to do?" she asked instead, bringing his face closer to hers so she could feel the hot breath across her cheek.

"Stupid question." Of course that was what he wanted, to strip her out of her clothes and have her screaming his name. He'd wanted that for _too_ long, really, but he could get to that later. Now, all he wanted to do was tease her and make her want him more than she already did. He pressed his fingers against the damp fabric that covered her core, and he felt the shudder than ran through her as she tried to press herself to him even more. "Well aren't you a bit naughty then." It was almost as if his words were doing just as much to Lucy as his movements were, and he heard a moan slip past her lips as he pulled her earlobe between his teeth and rubbed her through her soaked panties. "Never really been a fan of schoolgirls either, but you… You're the exception."

"Maybe I'm just _your_ naughty schoolgirl, Mr. Redfarrow."

He straightened up abruptly and stared at the blonde for a moment, and only cocked his head to the side slightly. It wasn't so much the part about her being his naughty schoolgirl, because hell, had that just gone straight to his groin. It was the fact that she had called him by his last name. "Did you just call me _Mr. Redfarrow_?"

"I might have," she giggled, and Bickslow only shook his head as he quickly slid the thin material to the side and pushed two fingers into her. He watched her head tip back til it hit the cabinet again, and he couldn't stop his own deep chuckle slipping out when she suddenly moaned out loud, "Don't… Don't stop."

"Didn't plan on it," he chuckled again, and if Lucy wasn't already sure she was dripping wet as his fingers slowly teased her, she was sure she would have been just from his goddamn voice and his laugh. Nothing like that should be that sexy, but she knew that the son of a bitch knew exactly what he was doing to her. He had to.

She barely paid any attention when he only pulled his fingers from her just long enough to quickly slide the drenched material that barely passed as underwear down her legs, or how they only seemed to land on the faucet behind him. She was almost in her own little bubble of ecstasy and wondering just why in the world she hadn't even come close to sleeping with him before, because she couldn't remember _ever_ feeling half as good as what Bickslow was making her feel right then.

She'd been right on the precipice of bliss for what had felt like so long, even though Bickslow had quickly worked her up to it, and part of her had been just a little glad that he lived alone with how much louder her moans became. But when Lucy was sure he felt his fingers curl inside her at the same moment he seemed to bite down on her shoulder, her eyes shot open and she shuddered violently in the one arm he had around her waist that kept her somewhat upright, and a long and low moan barrelled up and out of her throat as she practically dove headfirst off the cliff she'd been on.

"Wha… What the fuck," Lucy panted, watching with just one eyebrow raised as Bickslow withdrew his fingers from her and brought them up to his mouth with a sly smirk. It wasn't really that part that made her stare in shock, because it really just made her almost whimper. It was really about Lucy wanting to figure out what had just happened. She'd been sure that that spot inside of her was just a myth, the one that could make her toes curl and cry out. No one she'd been with had managed to find it, whether they'd tried to or not, and even Lucy had been sure it just didn't exist. She was just one of those girls who needed a whole lot more to get off, apparently.

Or not. Because her toes had fucking curled and her favourite word was probably his name, but she hadn't exactly been able to hear herself to know if she'd been saying it. Not that she cared that much, though. She was just… Well, she was shocked, and the smug look on his face told her that he knew.

He knew everything, somehow, and it only made him drive her all the more insane.

When Lucy hopped down from the counter, she hadn't expected how weak her legs would feel. She'd been more than happy for Bickslow to steady her though, and she looked up with a slightly shaky laugh and a grin as her hands found their way into his hair again. "We should've done this a long time ago," she murmured before her lips found his, and pushed him towards the hall.

"Definitely," Bickslow agreed. That was one thing he was certain of, but he was just a little disappointed that it really would probably not be happening again. But that only gave him a reason to enjoy her all the more. "But god, you're beautiful." And she was. But that suddenly wasn't enough in his head, and in the brief moments he had where he could pull his mouth away from hers as he walked backwards down the hall and to his bedroom, he added, "And gorgeous. And so goddamn sexy. And I'm really wondering just why the fuck Laxus would even want to let go of—"

"Shut up already."

He nodded as he fell down onto the edge of the bed. _Yeah, talk about her ex when you want to fuck her. Good fucking job._ So he remained silent and just let Lucy do whatever the fuck she wanted to do to him, and apparently, that was get his shirt off. Her movements were slow, only dragging her short nails down from his shoulders and down to his stomach, making each muscle she passed over twitch and almost making him flinch. If he'd known exactly just what he could do to her, Lucy was the same. She knew his weakness, or at least one of them, and all he was able to do was keep his hands at his sides and wrapped around the edge of the mattress so he didn't just pull her up and put her on her back. Bickslow would much rather be the one to be undressing her, but he'd cope with this for now, because seeing her slowly slide down to kneel on the floor in front of him was far too enticing and made his cock twitch excitedly.

"I'm just remembering something," Lucy said, the corner of the painted-red lips he hadn't had enough of for that night lifting up and matching the devious look in her eyes.

"Yeah?"

"I get to see the rest of your tattoos now."

He laughed as she sat up slightly just to dip her fingers into the waistband, and only watched as she slowly inched his shorts down with his boxer briefs until the entirety of the tattoo he'd been refusing to tell her about was visible. He shrugged when her eyes flicked back up, questioning but filled with amusement, and he said, "Blame Laxus for that one."

Her own laugh slipped past her lips as he raised his hips so she could pull the last of his clothes away completely, his length springing free, and she shook her head as she stood up and only moved so she was climbing up onto the edge of the bed instead. "Why does it not surprise me you have a tattoo that says 'blow me'?"

"Because you know I'm a womanising asshole and I just really love getting head and it saves me asking?"

"Hmm, no. I don't think so," Lucy said as she refrained from rolling her hips over him as she pushed him back. She could feel the hard length of him sliding against her as his hands gripped at her ass and pulled her down. She wasn't quite done with the smirking Seith mage just yet, and she quickly sat up again just to kneel on the bed beside him instead. "But come on. I wanna see the other one."

He groaned. "What? Why? You already know what it is."

"Still want to see it."

"You're fucking weird," Bickslow muttered, and he rolled slightly once he'd reached the middle of the bed and had his head on the pillows – the same place she'd pointed to, and he was sure as hell going to do whatever she wanted – so she could see the red lips tattooed on one cheek. "Happy now?"

"Very."

"I'm so glad," Bickslow rolled his eyes, and when she climbed over him again, he pulled her down until he was nestled between her thighs and her lips were on his, and he didn't stop himself from pushing his hips up into her to get the moan against his tongue he wanted to hear. "Now can I fuck you yet?" Was he getting just a little impatient? Yeah, he really fucking was, but his entire body was aching with need, mostly just to be inside her already, that he would honestly take anything she offered him too.

She shook her head as that devious smirk came back. "Not yet." No, she still had more to do, and even though her core was clenching with the need to have Bickslow inside her and making her see stars – seriously, if that had just been what his fingers could do, she really had high expectations for what the rest of him could do – she wasn't going to let that happen just yet.

Slowly, she moved down his body as he propped himself up on his elbows, and the only thought going through his head when her hand wrapped around his shaft was that he really wished there was a mirror on the wall at the end of his bed, and not just a chest of drawers and a place for the lacrima-vision on the wall above it. That would have been a sight, with her ass up in the air and kneeling between his legs… And she was still wearing all of her clothes.

Well, almost all of them.

The length of him felt heavy in her hand as she slowly stroked up and down the rigid shaft, and she relished the low groan that barrelled up and out of him as he fell back to the pillows behind him. He'd made her come undone, and that's all Lucy wanted to do to him. Leaning down then as she looked up and saw his eyes closed, her tongue snaked out from between her lips and circled the flared head before she sank her mouth down over him.

"O-Oh, Jesus…" He opened his eyes then and sat back up on his elbows when he felt the warm heat around him, and was only greeted by the sight of her full red lips sliding up and down over his cock. He'd honestly been quite happy with just her hand, for however brief it had been, but her mouth was just so much better, and she looked a whole lot better down there than he thought _anyone_ could.

So maybe if he was well on his way to hell, they were taking a detour through heaven or something. That was more than fine with Bickslow, because what Lucy was doing was far too good, and he would have been glad to just lie there all day and let her tongue glide up and down his shaft. He never would have guessed that Lucy Heartfilia was good at giving head. Never in a million years.

Well… Maybe not all day, but he'd gladly take as long as he could even manage. Or as long as she wanted to, really.

When he felt himself slip into the back of her throat, he only looked up again and met her eyes with a dark grin. "Fuck, now _that's_ sexy," he rasped, biting on his bottom lip to keep the moan from slipping past when she pulled her lips completely off and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She'd never taken anyone in that far before, mostly because she hadn't wanted to, but with Bickslow, she'd wanted _all_ of him. "Where's a camera when I need one?"

Her eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't fucking dare."

"Oh, I would. I _so_ would." Not that he would need it of course, because he was pretty sure that image was ingrained in his head for good and it would most likely be the image at the forefront of his mind at some point or other in the near future. "Don't worry, Cosplayer. I wouldn't take a picture of you with my dick in your mouth. Not unless you wanted me to, anyway."

"Which I don't, you perv." Well, she didn't think she did, because that would be weird, and she really didn't think she'd want that kind of photo getting into the wrong hands. That would only leave her completely mortified.

But… That didn't exactly stop her going back to what she'd been doing before, because she'd been enjoying it more than she ever had, really, and hearing someone like Bickslow moan because of her was only making her want him all the more. His hand went to the back of her head then, and she didn't need to glance back up to know he still had that god-awful sinful smirk on his lips. "Mmm, just like that," he hummed, watching as she dragged her mouth up the length of him once again, and circled the flared head her tongue before diving back down.

Their detour through heaven was far better he expected, and he fell back to the pillows and dropped his hand again when he felt the vibrations of her quiet moans run right through him. The woman knew exactly what she was doing, and holy hell was Bickslow glad for that. Almost too glad, really, because her mouth was wreaking far too much havoc on him and he could feel that same tingle in the base of his spine. "Fuck, Lucy…" He looked up again and only reached out to try and gently pull her off of him. "You gotta stop."

He was sure he heard what sounded like a _'nuh-uh'_ and it only made him make a sound that resembled a whimper. But somewhere deep down, he really did not fucking care one tiny bit. All he could do was stare down at her as she continued pushing him towards the edge that was way too close as it was with her hand and her perfect mouth.

"S-Shit, you… Oh g-god, Lucy."

There was something about hearing Bickslow use her actual name in between his panting breaths and moans that had almost her entire body trembling. Each sound he made because of her was something she had never thought she would absolutely love hearing, and when she felt the throbbing length she had her lips wrapped around grow more rigid in her hand, she could help but moan around him again.

Just that last little moan seemed to be what sent Bickslow over the edge though, and as the first of his release travelled up his hard length, he found his hands fisting in the sheets. "F-Fuck, Lucy!" he moaned, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the blonde between his legs at the end of the bed as he erupted within the warm cavern that was her mouth, coating her tongue and the back of her throat. He shuddered as he fell back again with another moan, and again when she felt her finally swallow around him before pulling off with a pop and letting her tongue glide up from the base to the tip once more.

Was there anything better than heaven? Because wherever Bickslow was then, it certainly wasn't heaven. It was far too good for that.

"Just how much sugar have you had today?" Lucy asked as she slowly climbed back up his body, and looked down to Bickslow with a wicked grin. She already knew Bickslow had an insane sweet tooth – honestly, he had an entire cabinet filled with all sorts of sweets and anything overloaded with sugar, and being that it was Halloween, it wouldn't have surprised her if he'd been eating it all day – but he had tasted far too sweet. But not in a bad way, either. She was honestly just curious, because as someone who ordinarily didn't particularly enjoy someone finishing in her mouth, she would _gladly_ let Bickslow do that again.

It was a little odd to her, truly, but it didn't help that she also really happened to love his tattoo… Even if she didn't quite know how Laxus had been involved in him getting it.

"Not much," he answered, still a little breathless as he opened his eyes to see the blonde above him with her hair cascading around his face. Pulling her down to him with one hand on the back of her neck and the other on her hip, he chuckled against her lips when he tasted himself on her tongue. "Pineapple juice."

"Pineapple juice?"

It was hands down his favourite fruit, and he was well aware of just one of the particular benefits of drinking it were. Was it on purpose though? Not at all. "You can thank me for my unnatural love for pineapple later," he rasped. Quickly, he pushed Lucy up, and rolled her until she was on her back just next to where he'd been lying, and was hovering over her and grinning wickedly. "We're not done yet."

* * *

For the second time in the space of a few hours, they were both woken up by Scarlett crying for whatever reason. The first time, it had been close to four a.m., and if Lucy had been able to get out of bed and find her clothes to go home then, she probably would have. But no, she really hadn't been able to walk very well, something that had never happened to her, and Bickslow's argument had been that until the sun came up, she wasn't going anywhere, nor was she going to put on any of her clothes that were scattered around his bedroom floor.

Did Lucy complain about that though? Oh no. Not at all. Those were terms she had happily agreed to.

The second time Scarlett woke up though, it was at a much more reasonable time, and as Lucy opened her eyes, she had to close them again just because of the light streaming in through the windows on the back wall. She didn't know what time it was, but Lucy was sure it was far too early for her to be awake after the night she'd had.

But… She also knew that she really did have to get out of bed, because it was Bickslow's bed, and as comfortable as it was, she really needed to go home. And shower. And probably just try and pretend that sleeping with Bickslow wasn't a big deal and that she wasn't more confused about how she was feeling more than ever, and that she had most definitely not had the best sex of her life with him.

Not at all.

But Lucy was sure she wouldn't be forgetting any of her night for some time, not when he'd managed to do things that Lucy hadn't even been sure were possible, and quite literally made her toes curl and stars appear behind her eyelids more than once. Three times, he'd made her do that, along with scream and make her strangely amazed – and so thankful – at just what a newborn could sleep through. Or technically, four times, if she counted that time after four in the morning after Scarlett had been put back down. To say it was a new record for Lucy was an understatement (because at the best of times, she'd only ever been able climax once, and it was really only ever from oral, strangely. Twice if she was lucky though, which was a rare occurrence), and she'd never once actually had to have someone stop her from falling on her ass because she couldn't even stand on her own two feet. But Bickslow had enjoyed that, even if Lucy had been pretty sure she had been on the verge of blacking out and that there was really a limit to how much she could handle – not that she ever thought she would reach that limit.

Just like he'd somehow seemed to enjoy far too much that he'd been the one and only to get her to experience things that she hadn't even thought possible. It had been far too entertaining, and incredibly satisfying too, but part of that satisfaction was really just because it meant that not even Laxus had been able to get her even close to screaming Laxus' name like she had with him. That little bit of information had really just gone straight to his ego.

Like Lucy knew though, Bickslow knew it was time to get out of bed and start the new day, again, even though he really didn't want to, because just a week of being a parent and foregoing sleep had sucked. But he had to get up, because his daughter was crying and he had to take care of her.

With a groan, Bickslow finally began pulling himself out of his far too comfortable and warm bed. He tossed the sheets and blanket back behind him as he slowly sat up, and the muffled laugh that came from behind him when they only landed on Lucy and covered her had Bickslow chuckling quietly to himself before she found a pillow flung at the back of his head.

"That was unnecessary," Lucy mumbled, rolling onto her back as Bickslow picked up the shorts he'd had on the night before and pulled them on before quickly rushing around the bed and over to where Scarlett was in her bassinet in front of the partly closed curtains.

"So was throwing a pillow at me," Bickslow replied. Turning his attention to the near screaming tiny human just in front of him, he winced – maybe he'd drunk more than he thought after all – as he picked her up. "Come on, little tiny human that I helped create," Bickslow gently said as he walked back around the bed and towards the bathroom. "Time to get you to stop crying."

Lucy sighed as she stared up at the ceiling. Scarlett's crying seemed to drown out Bickslow's complaining about her moving too much, but it somehow seemed to bring a smile to her face. He didn't even need her there anymore. He hadn't needed her past the first day, because somehow, he'd seemed to figure out or learn to do on his own. Sure, Lucy had helped him a little bit, like with shopping and just knowing even the simple things like how to hold Scarlett correctly or even comfort her when that was all she wanted and needed.

But most of that week, Lucy hadn't needed to be there. She'd stayed though, and if anything, she'd only been there to keep Bickslow company. The problem with all of that though, was that Lucy was finding herself not wanting to leave. She'd enjoyed being there far too much, and she knew that once his team got back and she wasn't really needed or maybe even wanted there anymore, she'd be sad.

It didn't help that she'd gotten far too attached to Scarlett in just the space of a week too. It had nothing to do with how she feels about Bickslow, which, was really just a mess because she really didn't _know_ how she felt about Bickslow. Lucy knew she'd have to eventually figure that out though. It just wasn't going to be right then, when she was lying in Bickslow's bed without a single shred of clothing.

Thinking that, Lucy took that as her cue to actually get up and find her clothes – if you could even call them that. Sluggishly, Lucy sat up and pulled the sheet with her, and pulled it completely from the bed as she stood so she could wrap herself up in it. She saw her pleated skirt caught on the edge of the chest at the ottoman of his bed, and her shirt on the floor just in front of her. But her bra she couldn't see anywhere, nor her underwear, but she could vaguely remember them being lost in the kitchen.

When she noticed the heavy rain just outside, Lucy sighed quietly before she finally picked up the clothes she could actually find. _Of course it's raining._ The one time she wasn't able to call on any of her trusty spirits to bring her some more appropriate clothes because she'd left her keys at home since she'd been sure she wouldn't need them at the guild that night, and apparently, it just seemed to be the one time Loke seemed content with not making any surprise visits. If anything, it was the one time Lucy wanted him to, just because it would mean she'd be able to get him to bring her some much more suitable clothes, and would make her walk of shame just a little less shameful.

"Oh, look who can actually walk now."

Lucy looked up when Bickslow walked into the room, and rolled her eyes when she realised she didn't have anything to throw at him. "Oh, shut up," she muttered. He walked past her to put Scarlett back in her bassinet so he could go back and find some of his own clothes to put on, and as she continued to look around the room, Lucy asked, "Hey, do you by any chance know where my bra is?"

It was then that Bickslow picked up on the faint laughter of the babies in his head, but he had no clue as to what they were laughing about. _Probably just enjoying this entire situation as much as I am._ Because really, Lucy Heartfilia was naked in _his_ bedroom, and there was a part of him that was convinced he was dreaming. He shrugged. "No idea."

"Well, you're the one who took it off me, so you should know where it is."

"I was more interested in getting it off you than caring about where it went."

She huffed as Bickslow came back out of the wardrobe, the loose shorts he had on replaced by grey track pants and a sweatshirt with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. "You're not going to help me find it, are you?"

Bickslow shook his head as he picked up Scarlett once again, and gave Lucy a dark grin as he passed her again as he lightly tugged on the sheet she held up around her breasts. "Not a chance," he answered, finally passing her and heading out into the hall with his back towards Lucy. "I've got a kid to look after, remember?" It didn't help that he really found it too amusing, even though he probably shouldn't.

So Bickslow left Lucy in his room to get dressed – sort of – while he got himself some breakfast after setting Scarlett down in her little bouncer in the living area just next to the kitchen. But of course, that was only after he remembered and realised that he needed to clean the counters – or at least just one part of it.

It was pretty hard to focus on anything though, like just when he was going to head to the hospital or some doctor to get Scarlett checked up since apparently – according to something he'd read, anyway – newborns needed to have check ups around the time they were two weeks old, and based on the date on the hospital birth records he had, she was exactly two weeks old right then. He had considered not going, but Bickslow really just wanted to make sure he wasn't epically screwing her up or making her sick or anything. She was little and she couldn't talk; her only form of communication was crying and screaming, and even then, Bickslow barely knew what cry meant what. He really just guessed, but he knew that was to be expected since he'd only had her for a week. But with the babies zooming around the living room, twirling and squealing like the little devils they were, Bickslow wasn't exactly thinking about just how he was going to manage going out in public with a newborn that no one knew about. Instead, he was worrying about just what his immortal children were up to.

He always knew when they were up to no good, because it was almost always. But right then, Bickslow was definitely sure there was something going on. _"Why are you lot in such a good mood this morning?"_ he silently asked as he placed the cleaning supplies back in the cupboard under the sink, only to stand back up and stare at the small piece of orange material that was still hanging from the faucet. Lucy would no doubt be coming out to look for those shortly. _"Did you already go and terrorise someone?"_ he continued, curiously and cautiously watching the five of them circle his daughter who only seemed to ignore the flying tikis before Pappa stopped and settled himself in next to her to gently nuzzle her cheek.

 _"Nope!"_ they replied.

 _"Then do you maybe want to share just why you're so happy?"_

To that, they ignored him and only giggled quietly and continued to fly around and get dangerously close to hitting the side of Bickslow's head as they usually did in the mornings while he went around and began to finally sort out his breakfast. He did consider that their enthusiasm was probably just because he managed to get himself laid after a strangely lonely couple of months, and by Lucy no less, but he knew it wasn't that.

Lucy came back out after a few minutes, her arms folded protectively around herself. The white blouse she had on was wrinkled from how it had been tied up the night before. Even then though, Lucy was realising just how cold it actually was that morning, and with her bra missing – something that Lucy had no idea just how or why – she was all the more aware of that. Her shirt really wasn't that thick, and Lucy was actually beginning to regret her choice of Halloween costumes.

She was not, however, regretting her choice to splurge on that two-thousand Jewel setting spray that really worked wonders on her makeup. Not a single smudge from her eyeliner or lipstick. She was thankful for the little things.

She grimaced when she saw Bickslow leaning against the end of the island counter and watching Scarlett while spinning the lace material that somehow classed as underwear around on one finger. "Oh my god," Lucy hissed as she snatched them from his hand, her face quickly heating up and spreading towards her ears. "Don't do that."

Bickslow couldn't help but watch in amusement as Lucy hid herself behind one of the barstools and the counter and slipped them up her legs, all while looking completely mortified and embarrassed. "Really?" Bickslow said, placing his cup of coffee down on the counter behind him as he watched Lucy walk back around to the middle of the kitchen to grab her heels. "Hiding behind a counter even though I saw you oh so wonderfully naked just a few hours ago?"

"Yes, I am," Lucy answered. Of the things that Lucy was comfortable doing, getting dressed in someone else's kitchen was not one of them. She had just a few standards, and she very much enjoyed having her dignity intact. "So that just leaves my bra," she muttered to herself as she stood back up. When the babies flying above them started giggling, both Lucy and Bickslow looked up, and Lucy narrowed her eyes at them suspiciously, as did Bickslow. "What's up with them?"

"I'm not too sure…"

"Uh-huh…" Lucy didn't know much about the souls that were housed in the totems, but she did know that they were quite often up to no good. Because of that, she decided not to worry about it. She figured it was just the babies being the flying mischievous brats they were. "Well, I should be off," she announced suddenly.

"Oh. Okay," Bickslow replied indifferently. _Yeah, staying for breakfast might be just a little weird considering you just fucked her… Twice._ _Better not screw anything else up with her._ She'd been about to pull the door open when Bickslow suddenly said, "Wait a minute."

Lucy turned back to look to Bickslow curiously before he quickly pushed himself off from the edge of the counter and was crossing to the hall. He ducked into his walk-in wardrobe then and opened one of the drawers in the unit to pull out the first thing he could find that wouldn't end up being the size of a tent or something on her. He ended up pulling out a dark grey hoodie that he'd practically lived in for a year when he'd been nineteen. It didn't even fit him anymore and it had been sitting in a drawer for the better part of three-odd years, but he still couldn't just throw it away.

But after staring at it for just a moment, he sighed in defeat and quickly headed back down the hall once again. He'd feel bad if Lucy got a cold or anything from walking home in the rain and dressed like she was, and it was one of the only things he owned that really wouldn't be a million sizes too big on the blonde.

He held the jumper out to her, and before she could question it, Bickslow explained, "It's raining, and aside from the fact you're wearing a white shirt, I'd feel bad if you got sick on your way home." Reaching down into the tall basket that was next to the door and up against the edge of the corner lounge in that room, he picked up one of the three umbrellas – Bickslow was pretty sure it was actually Freed's, but that didn't matter – and offered it to Lucy. "Take this too."

"Are you always this nice to the people you sleep with come morning?" Lucy asked with the corner of her mouth pulling up into a small smirk as she pulled the hoodie on over her head and picked up the umbrella again.

Bickslow snickered as he picked up his coffee cup again. "Fuck no," he chuckled. Then added, "I want that hoodie back by the way. The shirt I don't really care about—"

"You'll get the shirt back when I get mine back."

"I honestly have no idea where it went."

"So you lost my shirt?"

Bickslow nodded. "Apparently." Though, he hadn't meant to lose it. He'd gone to wash it so he could give it back to her just a couple of days earlier – or really, it had been about three a.m. and he'd still been awake because Scarlett was refusing to sleep – when he'd realised it was gone. How it had gone missing, he had no idea.

Lucy arched a still perfectly defined eyebrow at the man. "Is this just a thing then?" she asked, the amusement in her voice. "First my shirt, now my bra? Am I just going to keep losing clothes if I take them off here?"

"You're welcome to test that theory."

"You wish," Lucy laughed.

"I do." Oh, he so wished… "But seriously," he continued. "Keep the shirt for all I care, and the umbrella too if you want because I'm pretty sure it's Freed's anyway. But the hoodie I want back."

Lucy rolled her eyes and unfolded her arms to reach for the door handle again. "Yeah, yeah. You'll get it back… Eventually." Pulling the door open and wincing at the cold air that seemed to have goosebumps raising on her legs, she took just one step forward before she stopped and looked over her shoulder with a wicked grin. "Oh, and… One more thing," she said quietly, and Bickslow only blinked at her over the top of his mug as he took a slow sip. "I think I get what you were saying about your tongue piercing now."

She managed to catch Bickslow choking on his coffee and almost spilling it all over himself and the floor before she closed the door behind her, leaving him alone in his kitchen to regain his composure again. Of all the thing he had expected her to say, it had not been that. But he certainly wasn't going to complain, because if it was one thing he had learned over the last several hours, it was that Lucy had a mouth – a wonderfully perfect and wicked mouth, if Bickslow had to actually describe it – and she wasn't even close to being the perfect angel that she let most people believe she was.

But with Lucy heading home, hopefully keeping somewhat warm and dry now, Bickslow turned his attention back to the floating devils. They'd been unusually quiet, not chiming in in his head with any stray comments about Lucy like he'd expected them to, so if he hadn't been entirely sure of their trickery before, he was now.

It was just that Bickslow was sure he knew what it was about too.

Sighing, he only rolled his eyes as he gently placed the mug down on the counter behind him again, and asked, "Okay, where the fuck did you hide it?" Bickslow might have had no idea where her shirt had gone, and he was sure he wouldn't be finding it any time soon because he didn't even know where to begin to look for it, but her bra, on the other hand… Bickslow had a feeling that the babies had had something to do with that disappearing.

And just like he'd thought, he watched Pippi and Poppo – the two who had originally apparently been twins when they'd actually been alive and were often the ones causing the most trouble with the other three just going along with it – stop twirling around by the light fixtures in the kitchen above the island, and zoom straight up the stairs. Just a moment later they were coming back down, holding the black lacy bra between them.

He caught it just as they separated and dropped it, joining their immortal siblings once again and laughing at their little prank as Bickslow only shook his head. "God, you lot are a nightmare sometimes," he muttered. "Just what the hell am I going to do with this now?"

"Keep it," Puppu suggested.

"Yeah, like that's going to happen," Bickslow scoffed. God forbid anyone decided to ever go through his wardrobe one day, he didn't want to have to explain why he had a bra. ' _Oh, yeah, the babies kind of stole it and it's actually not mine'_ was sure to go down well.

"Give it back to her?" Pappa said.

"Which would mean I'd have to suggest that you lot," his gaze flicked up to the two troublemakers then, "Are actually insane and have a thing for stealing clothes," he added. "You didn't steal her shirt too, did you?"

"The shirt is your fault."

Bickslow sighed. "Yeah, figured as much." He only held up the bra again to try and figure out just what he was supposed to do before he sighed again. Having one of the babies come down, he hung it over the wooden doll and gave it a silent order to take it to the laundry – maybe it would disappear into some black hole that apparently existed in there. He could maybe deal with it later, or try and figure out just how he was supposed to explain that little situation to her the next time she came over.

For now, though, he was going to be a somewhat good parent (or so he thought) and spend time with his daughter. Pushing away from the counter again, he bent down to pick up Scarlett with a wide grin and then headed towards the lounge room. "Whaddya say, Scarlett? Tummy time now?"

* * *

A bath.

That was what Lucy wanted at that exact moment, now that she was home. A nice long, warm, relaxing bath. Partly because she was cold as hell, since an incredibly short skirt and an incredibly warm hoodie were not the things she should have been wearing when it was raining and borderline storming, and partly because she ached in places that she didn't quite want to be.

Not that she was complaining though, either, because she wasn't. Not even close.

With her bath rising slowly next to her, filling with room with steam and the scent of her lemon and lime bubble bath, Lucy turned to the mirror and ran a brush through her hair to take out the knots that had formed overnight and from her makeshift finger comb to get it up in a messy bun when she'd still been at Bickslow's. It had, originally, been tied up –

pigtails like she'd originally had a couple years earlier, to be specific – but at some point, the black ribbons she'd had in had been lost, courtesy of Bickslow, actually.

She'd been about to step into her bath when she noticed something in the mirror, and she stopped and quickly returned to be in front of it. She blinked at her reflection after wiping her hand across the surface. "Son of a bitch," she breathed. Her fingers glided over the small discoloured patch of skin on her shoulder, and she groaned in frustration as she stepped back from her bathroom mirror and finally turned her attention back to the bath she'd drawn.

The moron had given her a goddamn hickey. When, Lucy couldn't really place, since her shoulders and neck had received a lot of special attention. But she reasoned it didn't matter all that much, anyway. Sure, she really would have preferred Bickslow hadn't left a stupid mark, but it wasn't the end of the world. Winter was really only a month away, and with the weather being the way it was, Magnolia seemed to be in for a colder one than usual that time. But it was already getting incredibly cold, so Lucy didn't need to worry about anyone else seeing it and god forbid questioning it. Though, if anyone did, that still didn't matter all that much, because she'd just be able to say that it was no one's business.

What she did in her own time was her own business, and apparently, that was thinking about Bickslow.

A lot.

She opened her eyes again with an annoyed sigh as she slid down further into the bath, letting the water come up to her chin. _Damn it, Lucy. Don't think about Bickslow._ The last thing Lucy wanted to be doing was thinking about him more than she already had been, especially when right then, it only meant thinking of the previous night. Or, morning, technically.

But oh, could Lucy not stop herself from doing just that, even though she really did not want to. And sighing contentedly from already beginning to feel herself relax in the hot water, Lucy closed her eyes again after turning the taps to stop her bath from overflowing.

 _"Tell me who's better."_

 _Lucy shook her head, and she only whimpered when he rolled his hips into her. It wasn't what she wanted, not in the slightest, but it was enough to have her almost wanting to give him the answer he wanted just so he would go back to fucking her into oblivion._

 _"Tell me," he growled again. She could feel his hot breath against her cheek, but she stayed quiet. "Me." He pulled back just to slam into her again, her hand on the wall and his arm around her keeping her from falling forward, and revelled in the loud moan that escaped her lips as her head tipped back to rest on his shoulder. "Or Laxus."_

 _"P-Please," Lucy whimpered. "Just…"_

 _Bickslow chuckled and was smirking wickedly against her as his hands gently smoothed down her sides, keeping her back pressed against his chest. "Tell me then," he whispered in her ear, his teeth grazing against the tender lobe. "Me. Or Laxus. Tell me who's better, and I'll give you exactly what you want."_

 _"Bi-Bickslow, please…"_

 _"Tell me. Tell me who's better at making you cum."_

 _"God, y-you are," she breathed, and she was sure she could sense his ego growing. It was stupid, irrelevant, but she needed him to make her do what only he had been ever able to do, and he wasn't going to do that without getting the answer he wanted and already knew to be true. "You are," she whispered again. "Please, just fuck me again already."_

 _And before she had even begged him to, he was tightening his grip on her hips and slamming his hips back into her and making her forget how to even think. "Gladly."_

Lucy's eyes shot open, and she glanced down at herself through the bubbles that had dispersed on the surface. With a yelp, she frantically pulled her hand up from where it had been between her legs, and her fingers closed around the rim of the tub as she tried to calm her apparent laboured breathing. _No. Dear god no, that did not just happen._ Lucy didn't even want to know why she'd been doing that subconsciously. All she could be glad for was that Natsu hadn't decided to visit her that morning, because more than once, he'd walked in on Lucy doing things that neither of them had wanted to see or be caught doing. He might be her best friend, but some things were just not meant to seen.

Just like some things were not meant to be remembered or even acknowledged.

Lucy had been planning on acting like the mature adult, just because she had no reason not to. So what if she'd had sex with Bickslow? It didn't matter. It didn't matter just how mind blowing it had been either. She hadn't exactly thought much about why he had wanted to compare himself to her ex and his best friend, but now she was finding it more than a little odd, even though she really wouldn't have changed the answer she'd eventually given him if he'd asked her again. He was better than Laxus. Laxus hadn't been horrible, but… Bickslow was better with everything, and it really wasn't just because he happened to be particularly skilled with a certain pierced muscle.

Still though, life would just go on as normal. They were just two people who had decided to have some fun and there was nothing weird about that. They were great friends, but there was nothing between them at all.

It was no big deal that they'd slept together.

"Oh, who am I kidding," Lucy groaned, and she tried to sink further into the bath as she dragged her wet hands down her face. "It's weird."

It was a big deal, and even though she hadn't thought it weird before, it was now. And it was all because there _was_ something between them. Or at least, Lucy thought there was, even though it was driving her insane that she didn't understand it. So she might like him just a tiny bit, not that she really knew just where those stupid feelings had come from in just a week, but all of it was what made it complicated. He was one of her closest friends, and it wasn't exactly like she'd planned on fucking him or even thinking about fucking up their friendship. But it wasn't exactly like she'd regretted the night, either. Oh no. It had just been somewhat unexpected, regardless of how she'd been feeling all week.

But the point remained was that it was kind of weird now, just because Bickslow was her friend. And then there was that entire issue where she had dated his best friend. Granted, it had been a short and doomed relationship, but still. She was, as Bickslow had put it many times, _off limits._ Ordinarily, she had hated that, just because it was her life and she should have been able to sleep with anyone she wanted, regardless of her past relationships, but now…

Now, she was realising that there really were people she should not ever sleep with, and she should most definitely not have feelings for.

It wasn't exactly like she was going to walk into the guild later that day and just announce that she'd slept with the guy. She wasn't going to do that any day. Not ever. Aside from it being no one's business just who she slept with, Lucy just really did not want people to find out, even if it was just one _particular_ person she didn't want finding out about it.

She had no feelings whatsoever for Laxus, but that was one thing that Lucy really hoped he never found out about. She was just a little worried about what would happen to Bickslow if he did, because the way Bickslow had been talking about the ' _bro code'_ that week… Well, she didn't want the guy getting hurt.

Zapped, maybe. And she would gladly watch Laxus do it. But she kinda liked the guy, unfortunately, and she also really liked his daughter. If something happened to Bickslow, then who would be there for sweet, little, precious Scarlett? No one.

It was really just all about Scarlett. Not Bickslow. Or Laxus. Well, sort of.

But still. Lucy knew absolutely nothing about the so called _'bro code'_ , and she even doubted its existence ninety-nine percent of the time, but it seemed like the kind of thing that could ruin a friendship, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. It was really just best that Laxus didn't find out they'd slept together.

Ever.

* * *

When Lucy sat herself down on the opposite side of the table, Gajeel only raised a pierced eyebrow at her. Levy, beside him, only smiled brightly as she lifted her head from her pile of books.

"Morning, Lu," Levy slurred.

Lucy giggled quietly at the blue-haired mage opposite her and took a small sip of her strawberry and banana smoothie. "Feeling a little hungover, Levy?" Lucy asked. Levy nodded with her chin resting on her arms. "Why didn't you stay in bed then?"

Levy groaned and dropped her head to rest on the books again. The leather bindings were strangely soft and somewhat comfortable. "Erza passed out in my bed at like three a.m. and she kept trying to snuggle," Levy answered. She adored Erza, but snuggling just really wasn't her thing, especially when the Requip mage was drunk.

But drunk and snuggly Erza was something that Lucy all knew too well, and she understood why Levy would prefer to be in the guild rather than her own bed, even though when Lucy had left the night before, she'd still been at the guild and drinking with Cana and Juvia. Smiling and shrugging, Lucy giggled quietly again and only said, "Sorry." She wasn't sorry of course. Not really, anyway. Lucy was really just glad that she wasn't terribly hungover herself. She had a small headache, but that's nothing a bit of water and ibuprofen can't take care of.

She looked to Gajeel when she felt his dark eyes on her though, and she only blinked a few times while her eyes slimmed slightly. Releasing the straw from her lips, Lucy slowly said, "You're looking at me weirdly."

Was he? Oh yes. He was. Gajeel wasn't going to shy away from that fact. "You smell weird," he stated, and Lucy only sat up quickly to stare at him in shock.

"Excuse me?" She'd had a bath, thank you very much! She smelled quite nice, just like she usually did, assuming she hadn't been on a job for the last three days and hadn't been anywhere near a river or a lake to get herself somewhat clean.

"Different," Gajeel added in afterthought. But it wasn't so much different as it was familiar. Different on Lucy, of course, but it only made Gajeel think of someone else. He wasn't quite sure who though. "Who'd you fuck last night?"

Lucy flushed and she avoided his gaze. "T-That's none of your business." Gajeel knew far too much as it was, but Lucy certainly wasn't going to tell him that she'd fucked Bickslow. Oh no. It wasn't necessarily going to go horribly if Gajeel or even Levy found out, but Lucy would much prefer to keep it her little secret, especially since no one even knew Bickslow was still in town. If anyone were to find out that he wasn't with Laxus or the Raijinshuu, things were bound to get problematic, and Lucy really didn't want that for him.

"Well, are you gonna fuck him again?"

"What the hell? Why are you even asking me that?" The answer was no, of course, because Bickslow was her friend, but just why was Gajeel being so goddamn weird that morning? It was honestly beginning to worry Lucy.

"Because you smell really fuckin' good and you really need to ask the guy what he wears," Gajeel answered, and Lucy wasn't the only one giving the Dragon Slayer a look as if to say, _'are you still drunk right now?'_ He wasn't though. He was barely hungover. It was just that Lucy really did smell really fucking amazing that morning, and Gajeel had only been trying to get Bickslow to tell him the name of whatever he wore, just so he could go and buy some for himself.

 _Oh! That's it!_

It was like a light bulb went off in Gajeel's head. That was why it was so familiar to Gajeel – it reminded him of Bickslow, and Gajeel spent most of his time around the man when he was in the guild. He unfortunately knew just what the Seith mage smelled like, the joys of heightened senses, and right then, Gajeel could recognise that same smell lingering on Lucy – the faint citrus, woods, and musk blending in with her own natural scent of vanilla, and strangely, lime in that exact moment.

He knew it wasn't actually because of Bickslow though, even if Gajeel was almost wanting to question just why she happened to smell so distinctly of him, and not just the actual cologne or whatever it was he wore. The guy was out with his team, so even if he had been stupid enough to sleep with her (and Lucy with him), it just couldn't have been Bickslow.

Whoever Lucy had slept with after leaving the guild that night just happened to wear the same brand as Bickslow did, and Gajeel really wanted to know what it was. "Bix, the mother fucker, keeps refusing to tell me what it is he wears," he sighed wistfully. Not quite realising that Lucy choking on her smoothie right then was because of the mention of Bickslow specifically, Gajeel added, "Whoever you fucked last night wears the same stuff as Bix, so if you're gonna see the guy again, ask him what he wears, will ya?"

"U-Um… Okay," Lucy mumbled. She hadn't really known what to say until then, and then then, she wasn't sure if it had been the right thing to actually say. Lucy wasn't even sure if she would have been able to get her brain into gear to say anything that was actually somewhat intelligent. She doubted it, though. _Stupid Dragon Slayers and their stupid noses._

Even if she was internally freaking out about the fact that she still somehow managed to smell like Bickslow (which was really honestly just a little disturbing and it was borderline making her skin crawl), she was just a little glad that it had been Gajeel, rather than Laxus or even Natsu. Laxus probably would've just kept his mouth shut but known something was slightly off, but he knew Bickslow better than most people so Lucy wouldn't be that shocked if he would've been able to guess that it was _Bickslow_ and not just someone who happened to wear the same cologne or deodorant or whatever the fuck else as him. Natsu, on the other hand, probably would have just straight out asked her why she smelled a little like the Seith mage. If either of those things had happened, Lucy would probably have been wanting to find the nearest cliff to throw herself off of.

Was she being a little dramatic and blowing the entire thing out of proportion? Yes. She was vaguely aware of that. But really, the last thing she wanted or needed right then was anyone knowing about Bickslow. It wasn't even just because she didn't want it to be known they slept together (she wasn't embarrassed though. It was just… A complicated situation that didn't need to be made any more complicated). Bickslow needed his privacy because of Scarlett, and that would be gone if even one person found out about them before he was ready to start actually telling people that his life had dramatically changed overnight.

Not even Gajeel could know about _anything_ yet, even if he was one of Bickslow's best friends and it was bad enough that he had picked up on something that Lucy hadn't even thought possible until then.

The problem right then though, was that Lucy was sure she would say something she shouldn't if she stayed there. Gajeel had put her in a state of panic that was making her far too uncomfortable. She needed to go and… Talk to Bickslow, actually. Aside from asking him just what in the actual fuck had been going through his head when he'd decided to ask her just who was a better fuck between himself and Laxus, she just needed to get all of her worry and frustration about the newfound problem she faced with Gajeel out.

She could really do most of that in the comfort of her own home where she would be free to pace and worry to her heart's content, but she almost wanted to be around Bickslow. Damn it, whatever the hell he'd done to her was driving her insane. On one hand, all she wanted to do was ignore the guy and try and pretend that everything was normal and nothing was weird, but on the other hand, she only wanted to spend all of her time with him – clothes or no clothes. She didn't even care about that detail. She just wanted to be near him, because something was telling her that even when he was partly the cause of half of her frustration and worry right then, he was what would calm her down, too.

She didn't understand any of it in the slightest though, and that worried her.

Putting her strawberry and banana smoothie aside, Lucy cleared her throat awkwardly and stood up from the bench. She still didn't meet Gajeel's gaze, because even then, he still seemed to be looking at her the same way he had before – like he was trying to figure out something, and Lucy needed to stop him from doing that. "I'm uh… I think I'm just going to go home. Maybe lie down for a little while or something," Lucy mumbled.

"I wish I could do that," Levy groaned into her books.

The blonde smiled at her friend, and her eyes quickly flicked back to Gajeel who was still watching her intently. She liked Gajeel. He was best friends with her best friend, and by extension, that made him one of her best friends too. But as much as she liked him, she hated that he knew too much about everything. "I'll see you later, I guess."

As Lucy left, Gajeel kept watching her. Something wasn't right, and the blonde was a terrible liar. Gajeel knew she wasn't going home to lie down though. Oh no. She was going somewhere else, and Gajeel would be damned if he wasn't going to find out where, because somehow, he seemed to know that it had something to do with a certain Seith mage.

What could he say though? He liked a good mystery novel and he was prone to gut feelings, and picking Levy up by her arm, Gajeel pulled her out of the guild and let his inner detective out.

* * *

 **A/Ns:** _This chapter was originally supposed to be a little longer (and the first scene was supposed to be like twice the length, but there was no way I was writing all of that out), but I decided to end it here, just because of everything that will be in the next chapter. Hehehe. But, yeah... I'm not sure what I'm writing anymore. I've been working on this chapter for a while and it was giving me all sorts of trouble so that's why it has taken this long. Plus... Yeah. Smut. Can't do it. Permanent cringe-state when I write and read it in my own stories._

 _But still, I hope you liked this chapter!_

 _Until next time!_

 _\- April_


	7. Trouble in Paradise?

_I'm so sorry this update took so long! I just really wanted to get Shattered finished, and then there was all those one-shots, and then I wanted to focus on Literature in History and then there was that other story I started writing, and then I honestly just had no idea how I'd do this chapter... But it's here now!_

 _I really did think this chapter would be under 10k words, but that obviously didn't happen. Oh well. I'm also not exactly the happiest in regards to how this turned out, but I couldn't think of any other way to do it. I scrapped a lot of this one, too, just because I didn't like where it was going. I'm just trying so hard to make certain things in this kind of gradual, and I know it will probably get annoying at some point (their obliviousness is in like all of my stories. I'm sorry), but I'll try not to annoy you with it..._

 _(Edit: I proof read. And updated it. Good April!)_

 _Now, on to the story, I guess._

* * *

The front door opened and Bickslow looked up with an eyebrow raised, just to see Lucy close it as quickly as she'd opened it. "I think… I might have a problem," she said slowly, beginning to walk back and forth between the sitting area on one side, and the end of the island counter on the other side of the room.

Bickslow just watched her do that for a moment before finally asking, "And what might that problem be?" He really didn't know how there could be a problem, because she'd left his house just a few hours earlier with _zero_ problems. Still though, he could see that there was most obviously something worrying her, and, well… That was making him worry, too.

"Um, well…" Lucy didn't really know how to go about explaining it, though. She'd come straight from the guild after talking to Gajeel and Levy because she'd needed to talk to Bickslow about it, because after all, it involved him. Sort of.

But was there even a good way to explain that there was a chance Gajeel knew that she had been around him incredibly recently, because she _smelled_ like him? Honestly, just the thought of that had a shiver running down her spine, because it was kind of weird. She didn't exactly want to smell like anyone other than herself. But obviously, that ship had sailed.

Still, maybe there was a chance that Gajeel hadn't really figured out that it was _actually_ Bickslow, and not just some random person that happened to wear the same _whatever_ as the Seith mage. That was still a possibility. That was what she told herself right then as she continued to pace, too. Surely she was just making a big deal out of it. There was no way Gajeel could know about them… Not that they were a _them_ or anything close to that.

There was just no way Gajeel could know that she had most definitely spent the night with Bickslow. Because everyone thought Bickslow was out with his team somewhere near the border of Fiore or something like that (Lucy couldn't remember what Bickslow had said about the job he was supposed to be on), and that he was most definitely not still in Magnolia and figuring out the whole parenthood thing.

Nope. Absolutely not.

She was just being silly. She had no problems. Bickslow had no problems. Everything was absolutely fine. Apart from the fact that they'd slept together and Lucy was so confused by it and about Bickslow because she didn't even understand her own feelings. _Gross. Feelings._ But she wasn't going to tell Bickslow about _that_ particular problem. No way.

"I, uh… It's nothing," Lucy eventually said, and she looked up with a small smile. Though the smile was more for her own benefit than Bickslow's, because she was the one still internally panicking, not him.

Bickslow was still just looking at her like she was crazy – which she kind of was – from where he sat in the corner of the lounge, legs crossed under him, and Scarlett in one arm and the small bottle held in his other hand. He was dressed now, like _actually_ dressed, like he was planning on going somewhere, so he looked a little neater than he had for the past week. At least according to Lucy, anyway. She went to comment on it before sitting down next to him, partly out of curiosity and partly because she wanted to change the topic that was making the air around her seem uncomfortable, but then there was a knock on the door she'd closed just moments earlier, and she froze.

Bickslow was staring at it from the corner of his eyes as he mumbled, "Why is there someone at my door?" There shouldn't be anyone at his door. No one but Lucy and his neighbour knew he was home, or so he thought. No one had a reason to be visiting him, and even when people knew he was home, it wasn't exactly like he got all that many visitors anyway. A visitor was a rare occurrence, and Bickslow really didn't like that there was someone outside his door right then.

He didn't like it one bit.

"I don't know," Lucy shrugged. _Please don't be Gajeel._ If it was, god… She would rather die of shame. Scratch that – she _would_ die of shame if it was Gajeel. But she really hoped it wasn't, and she was still really trying to tell herself that she was just being silly for freaking out. "I'm not going to get it to find out who it is, either."

"Why not?"

"It's your house."

"And?" He nodded down to the two-week-old infant in his arms. "I'm a little busy right now to go and get the stupid door."

Lucy only reached for Scarlett and the bottle with the formula he held, and the Seith mage rolled his eyes as he carefully handed them to her. Why couldn't Lucy just get the door, huh? Sure, his house, and he probably should get it, but still. He would much rather ignore it altogether, but it wasn't like that was going to happen. He had things to that day, like take Scarlett to see a doctor for her check-up which he was apparently supposed to do. He hadn't told Lucy he was doing that, and he'd been planning on leaving as soon as he'd finished feeding her, so if anything, Lucy coming over right then hadn't been at the best time, and whoever was outside his goddamn door was just something else entirely. Horrible timing didn't quite do it justice, in Bickslow's head.

If he'd had it his way, he would've had no visitors apart from Lucy until his team was back. Because really, aside from the fact that he had no fucking clue how he was going to explain the whole _'Surprise! I have a kid now!'_ thing to his best friends and family (and his _actual_ family was going to be a nightmare, too, and he wasn't looking forward to that in the slightest, either), he just wasn't in the mood to deal with people. Lucy, he could deal with. She was more than fine. Well, sort of. But anyone else? Nuh-uh. He was too tired for that, and he was most definitely too tired for who was outside his door.

Which, unfortunately, did in fact happen to be a smirking Gajeel and surprised Levy. If Lucy could've groaned into a pillow right then, or even climbed out of a window to run far, far away, she would have. But she couldn't, because she was now feeding Scarlett, and really, she was finding it very difficult to leave that tiny adorable little face. She hadn't told Bickslow that, though, because how the hell do you tell someone that you kind of got attached to their baby?

You don't, that's how.

Bickslow, though… He just stared at the two outside his door for a moment before he finally seemed to remember how to move, and stepped back to let them in. This was not how he'd anticipated his day going. Not at all.

"Well, this is certainly interesting," the Dragon Slayer chuckled as he stepped into the room. But then he saw Lucy looking more than a little embarrassed and holding the infant in her arms, and Gajeel was left just gawking, right before he looked back to the Seith mage over his shoulder. "What the fuck is that?!"

"That… would be a baby," Bickslow answered.

"No fucking shit."

Bickslow sighed as he rubbed at the back of his neck and leant against the end of the counter again. Oh, he did not want to be having that conversation at all, yet he knew that there was no escaping it. "Her name is Scarlett," he began slowly. "And, she's kind of mine."

"Kind of?" Levy repeated from where she sat next to Lucy, just staring down at the newborn as Lucy continued to feed her with the bottle.

"Completely mine," Bickslow corrected himself before laughing nervously, "I have a kid. Surprise!"

"…How the hell did that happen?" Gajeel questioned as he, too, stood in front of Lucy to peer at Scarlett. There were just so many things he wanted to know right then, from Bickslow suddenly having a kid, to Lucy being there right then, and Gajeel honestly wondered if he was still asleep, because the situation he'd just stepped in to was so fucking strange.

"I, uh, got some woman knocked up, I suppose. Nine months later, she drops the kid off at my door."

"So how old is she?" Levy asked softly.

"Two weeks today, according to the birth certificate she had with her," the Seith mage answered. He stayed where he was on the edge of the kitchen – Lucy looked more than a little uncomfortable over there with Levy sitting right next to her and Gajeel hovering over the both of them. He didn't need to be over there, too, even if it was his kid that was right in the middle of it.

"So where do you fit in with this whole fucked up situation?" Gajeel asked, nodding down to the blonde in front him.

Lucy looked up then. "Who, me?"

"Who fuckin' else?"

"Um, I'm helping," she mumbled. That was the truth, wasn't it? Of course it was the truth. Bickslow had asked for her help a week earlier, and she had said she would. She cleared her throat just a little awkwardly then, and narrowed her eyes at the Dragon Slayer leaning over her. "And why are you even here, anyway?" That was what _she_ needed to know now.

His mouth was curling up at the corner into another smirk, and he shrugged as he crossed his arms, standing upright again. "Followed you after you left the guild," he answered simply.

"Why?"

"Knew there was somethin' going on with that moron."

"What? How?" Bickslow chimed in again.

Lucy only grimaced. "Please don't say it…" She had a feeling that she already knew how Gajeel had known that she was somehow involved with Bickslow, and she really, _really_ did not want to hear it. Or maybe it was that she just didn't want Bickslow to hear it, because it was so god awfully embarrassing.

"Why not?" Gajeel asked. "I'm gonna guess that you not being in the guild all week has been because you've been here somehow helping Bix with his kid, so that's why you smell like him, not because you fucked _him_ last night." That was perfectly reasonable. Besides, Gajeel knew that Bickslow wasn't stupid enough to actually sleep with her. Laxus would probably kill him if he did that, even though they'd been broken up for more than six months.

Although, Gajeel really couldn't help but wonder just who Lucy had been with the night before, because he knew that she hadn't spent it alone after leaving the guild. She'd been too flustered when he'd asked her in the guild just before for that to be the case. He knew it couldn't have been Bickslow, though. Really. That was impossible… Even if she happened to smell a lot like _him_.

No. Surely that was just from spending a lot of time with him. That had to be it. His brain couldn't handle anything else, to be perfectly honest.

But then Lucy was looking awkward as all hell and looking down at Scarlett and pretending nothing was off, and Bickslow turned around to try and make himself occupied by looking in a cupboard, and Gajeel just stood there for a second as he tried to understand the sudden shift.

And then it hit him. And he just looked back and forth between them before he slowly and quietly began to chuckle at the situation. "Oh man, you're fucked," he said to Bickslow who was just looking to him from the corner of his eyes. "Spark Plug is gonna kill you."

"Not if he doesn't find out," Bickslow muttered. Gajeel was too smart for his own good sometimes. There was no point in denying what had happened.

"Wait…" Levy chimed in suddenly. She was looking slightly confused, which only made Gajeel laugh a little more, because really, he was finding it hard to actually stop at that point. "Why is Laxus going to kill Bickslow?"

"He isn't—"

"Because he fucked his best friend's ex," Gajeel answered.

Levy's cheeks, if possible, were even darker than Lucy's right then. But it wasn't exactly like Lucy was embarrassed that much – she just didn't really want to be talking about it. Like, not at all, because she really was just a little worried about Laxus finding out. "But why does that even matter?" Levy asked, looking to everyone in the room. "I mean, they've been broken up for months."

"Yes, thank you!" Lucy cried exasperatedly. At least someone got the stupidity of the entire 'bro code', even if Levy hadn't actually said the words. Still, she was thinking it. Lucy knew that. "It _doesn't_ matter. Now can we please just drop it? Like, forever?"

Bickslow only made a face, and he tried to hide it, but it didn't quite work out.

"What the hell was that for?" Lucy demanded. She was looking at him then.

"What?"

"That look."

He shrugged and fiddled with the sleeve of his shirt around his wrist. "You're being weird," he stated. And she was being weird, at least according to him. She was kind of making a bigger deal out of things than necessary. They slept together – so what? It wasn't like it was going to happen again – hell fucking _no_ – so why was she acting so strange? Sure, he got that it was kind of uncomfortable right then because of Gajeel and his stupid goddamn questions and his stupid goddamn nose (which really, made him feel kind of weird even though he was used to the whole heightened senses thing because of Laxus), but Lucy was just… strange. That was what she was. And she was being far more awkward than he'd thought her to be, especially considering the way she'd left his house that morning.

Still, he just didn't understand why she couldn't just act normal. Like, was it really that weird that they'd had sex? _Yes, probably._ He'd only had the babies giving him all kinds of hell for that ever since she'd left because it kind of was weird, but the difference between him and Lucy right then was that he wasn't letting it get to him. Nope. Because that would mean that it really was weird and strange, and weird and strange ruins friendships, and… Well, he didn't want to do that.

"Weird? What? No I'm not," Lucy spluttered.

"You kind of are."

"I'm not being weird, you are."

"You're both being weird," Gajeel cut in, only warranting a glare from the both of them.

Bickslow cleared his throat then. Okay, so he might be letting the weirdness show. "Whatever. Let's just drop it."

"Nuh-uh." Gajeel was shaking his head with his evil grin still in place, and was then stepping over to where Bickslow stood just to grab his arm and begin dragging him towards the lounge room behind the kitchen. "You and I gotta talk." There were just so many things he still wanted to know, and Gajeel knew he wasn't going to get half of those answers when the guy was still around Lucy.

Besides, Levy probably had her own questions for Lucy, and Gajeel would no doubt get those from her when they went back to the guild, so all was good.

Bickslow slid the glass door closed behind himself once out on the covered back deck, and he wrapped his arms around himself to run his hands up and down his arms. It had started raining again, apparently, and he was freezing standing outside. The hooded jacket he had on over the long-sleeved shirt just wasn't even close to being enough, and he most definitely did not want to be having to stand outside. "Why the hell did you drag me out here?"

Gajeel was still grinning like a madman as he said, "I want you to spill."

"Spill?"

"About you and Bunny."

Bickslow scoffed and sat himself down on one of the chairs at the outdoor table. "Yeah, how about no." Why would he tell Gajeel about _that_? That's just weird, and regardless, Bickslow didn't think Lucy would want him talking about it. Hell, Bickslow didn't even know what there was to talk about!

"You know Laxus really is gonna kill you if he finds out though, right?" Gajeel pointed out once again. He didn't care if Bickslow didn't want to talk – he wanted to talk about it. He wanted to know _everything_.

Well… Maybe not quite _everything_.

"And that's precisely why he _isn't_ going to find out," the Seith mage grumbled before looking to the side and adding quietly, "But even if he did somehow find out, because, I mean, the fucker knows basically everything…" And Bickslow was constantly wondering if it was a Dragon Slayer thing. "You don't think he'll be _that_ mad, do you?"

Gajeel shrugged.

"'Cause, you know," Bickslow continued, "They've been broken up since, like, Valentine's Day. And he's sort of dating Cana now, anyway. So, I mean, surely if I did happen to…" He cleared his throat, "Maybe, possibly, like her or something—and I'm not saying I do because, c'mon, no."

"Sure you don't."

"But, you know…" He had moved on to making vague hand gestures by then, and Gajeel couldn't help but snicker at the man. "Hypothetically? Theoretically? I don't fucking know, but whatever. Even if he did find out, surely he wouldn't actually try to kill me, right?"

Because it really had been a long time since Lucy had dated Laxus, and as far as he could tell, it had been a pretty good break up (though to him, it had been fucking wonderful and he still wasn't even mad he'd sacrificed his Valentine's Day to get drunk on a rooftop with Lucy, because really, who the fuck breaks up with someone on February 13?). So really, if Laxus did happen to find out about them or it or anything to do with them at all, would it really be the end of the world? _Surely there was a time frame on bro code issues…_

And really, Bickslow was only caring about it since Lucy was involved. He hadn't cared about Cana, but it wasn't exactly like they'd ever dated – it had just been sex whenever they wanted some fun. He could admit that it was a little odd that he was only caring about what Laxus would think just because it was Lucy, but it wasn't exactly something he _wanted_ to be thinking about, either. So he mostly tried not to.

Thinking only ever got him into trouble.

"Well," Gajeel sighed, "I guess it depends."

"On what?"

"On whether or not you're gonna be her boyfriend."

"Um, no." No, no, no. Nope. Never. Nuh-uh. "That would never happen," Bickslow mumbled. _Maybe? No. Never. Of course not. Don't be stupid and let the sleep deprivation get to you._

Gajeel arched a pierced eyebrow at the Seith mage. "So you don't want it to happen?" Then Bickslow hesitated and only opened his mouth to clamp it shut again and Gajeel had to chuckle quietly to himself again. "So what, you like her now or something?"

"No."

"No?"

"I don't know," he admitted reluctantly. Because, well… It was the truth. Kind of. He was just so confused, and the babies were most definitely not helping – honestly, if they claimed that he was in love with her one more time, he was going to burn their wooden bodies that they really did love and let them all go to become pets of some evil Seith mage.

But even when he was slightly confused about how he might or might not actually feel (he was trying to blame it on the lack of sleep), Bickslow knew for certain that he was most definitely not in love with her. That was gross. And impossible. He might like her just a little bit, sure; even he would admit (reluctantly) that he probably cared about her just a little too much. But still, it was more confusion than anything.

And it had all started with that goddamn motherfucking kiss and he was still trying to figure out what the hell was different, because something most definitely was. He didn't get nervous around people, yet he was kind of nervous around Lucy now, and he was most definitely wanting to be on his best behaviour (or something close to it), and not so much because of her conditions.

"I just… don't know," he said again.

"How can you not know?"

"It's complicated."

"Try me."

Bickslow huffed a laugh and glanced back to the Dragon Slayer. "You _really_ want to know?" He figured Gajeel would try and get it out of him either way, just because the guy had some kind of need to know absolutely everything about everyone. And besides, the only people he'd talked to all week were Lucy, a newborn who most definitely did not give advice (she was a good listener though), and his neighbour Vanessa for all of fifteen minutes combined. He kind of wanted to talk to Gajeel right then because really, guys having _girl_ talk was nice sometimes.

…Not a lot of the time, but sometimes, because guys had feelings too.

And Gajeel really did want to know, so he leant forward to put his elbows on the glass table and his chin in his hands and said, "Tell me _everything_."

* * *

Lucy looked up when Bickslow came back inside with Gajeel following behind him, and strangely, with a smirk that made her shiver – that was his _'I know something you wish I didn't know'_ smirk, and, well… Lucy really did wish that whatever it was he now did know because of Bickslow (that much was a given), he didn't know. She assumed that Bickslow really had told Gajeel probably too much, but it wasn't like she hadn't told Levy just as much, because she had. The woman had been graced with a gift of being able to get information out of people, and Lucy figured that it was probably because one of her best friends was Gajeel. There were, of course, some things she hadn't told Levy, because they were the kind of things that were most definitely too personal to share, even with best friends. But most of it, like from how Bickslow now had Scarlett and how Lucy was involved with it, and how Lucy wasn't quite sure just how she actually felt about Bickslow now, Levy now knew.

Bickslow went straight for the blonde once he was inside, and he held his arms out for his daughter once he was in front of her. "She good?" he asked.

Lucy nodded as she carefully handed Scarlett to the Seith mage. "I think so."

"Good, good…" He disappeared down the hall then, leaving the other three in his living room in an awkward silence, and came out just another moment later with a much warmer jacket on over his other one. "Now, uh, I've got some stuff I need to do in a little bit since there's a break in the weather, so it's probably just easier if you all go now."

"You're going out?" Lucy asked.

"Mm. I want to take Scout to get a check-up."

"Wait, Scout?" Levy chimed in. "I thought her name was Scarlett."

Bickslow rubbed at his forehead. "It is," he groaned. He just still could not get Scout out of his head for the life of him, and he still had no idea why. At that point, he was just going to roll with it. It's not like Scarlett knew her name anyway, so where was the harm in her having a nickname? And Scout was a nice nickname, thank you very much. At least if you asked him, anyway. "Just… don't worry about that.

"Did you, um, want me to go with you?" Lucy asked.

"No," Bickslow answered quickly – so quickly that even Gajeel was looking a little surprised.

"O-Oh… Okay." _Well, this is embarrassing._ She had just expected Bickslow to want her there for some reason, since she'd been helping him with practically everything else during the week. "I see."

Gajeel couldn't stop himself from quietly snickering before Levy had to drag him through the door she held open. "Ooh, does this sound like trouble in paradise?" he teased. The slap from Levy before she grabbed his jacket and tugged him out of the door, as well as the undignified _squawk_ from Lucy, and the death stare that Bickslow gave him, were all worth saying it. He couldn't miss an opportunity to tease them about whatever it was that was now apparently going on, though, could he?

Of course he couldn't.

There was just no scenario that existed where Gajeel wasn't going to tease one of his best friends and one of his closest friends (well, Lucy was his best friend's best friend, so by default that meant Lucy was one of his closest friends) about the fact that they were probably into each other now. How that had even happened, he still had no idea, but he was most definitely curious to see just whether or not Bickslow would manage to come out of everything alive. If anything, Gajeel was more interested in the fact that he liked Lucy, more than the whole thing where he now had a kid – which, sure, was pretty fucking strange and he couldn't really get his head around it.

But the fact that Bickslow could actually possibly care about Lucy, when he had said on multiple occasions that he would sooner move back home (whatever the hell that meant, though Gajeel just assumed the guy hated his parents or something) before he'd ever manage to develop feelings for one Celestial mage, was more than a little entertaining.

Once the door was closed and Gajeel and Levy were no doubt back off to the guild and gossiping to each other just like they did most days, Lucy stood up and reached for the sweater she'd pulled off. It was strangely a lot more awkward now that the other two weren't there (or teasing them, for whatever reason), and Lucy couldn't quite place why. So maybe it was a good thing that Bickslow didn't need her right then to take Scarlett for a check-up, since the awkward air that was now seemingly surrounding them was quite uncomfortable.

"So, uh," She paused to clear her throat. "You're taking Scarlett to get a check-up?"

"Yeah. I just want to make sure she's actually okay so far, you know?" he answered. "I mean, I don't know if anything happened to, um…"

"Her mother? Lucy guessed. Bickslow nodded. "Katie."

"Yeah, her." Not that Bickslow actually cared what her name was. "I don't know if anything happened to her when she was pregnant with Sco— _Scarlett_. Or if there were like, any complications or any other problems or shit like that, so I just want to make sure she's okay." After all, he was the one that was responsible for her, and aside from the fact that he wanted to make sure that _he_ wasn't fucking it up already, he really did want to make sure that there wasn't anything else he needed to know or worry about. A visit to a paediatrician was really just a win for the both of them, he figured.

"I'm sure she's perfectly fine."

Bickslow shrugged. "Still wouldn't hurt to find out."

"Fair enough," Lucy agreed. Though she really was sure that his daughter was perfectly fine. "Will you be fine though?"

He glanced over his shoulder from where he was by the bookshelf next to the lounge, busy looking for his keys that he had misplaced. Realising that he couldn't do a very good job of searching for something small, he turned and handed the infant to the blonde just behind him. "Hold her for a sec," he mumbled before turning back to look into the decorative bowls and boxes on various shelves. "And what do you mean?"

"Well, I just know that you wanted to kind of give yourself a little bit of time to get used to things with Scarlett," she began slowly, and just following the Seith mage around the living area as he continued to search for his keys. "And I know you wanted to wait until your team was back before you told anyone, too, though I am so, _so_ sorry that Gajeel and Levy followed me here…"

"It's fine." _Sort of._ It didn't really matter, he supposed – all that did matter and all that was important right then was that they didn't tell anyone. _Except I totally forgot to ask them to keep quiet… Fuck_. He made a mental note to call Gajeel later, just in case he did decide to talk to someone.

Like Mira, for example.

Or even his girlfriend, Juvia, although Bickslow wasn't entirely sure if they were even talking to each other that week.

"Still," Lucy continued. "There's a chance someone from the guild could see you with her, and if that gets back to the guild…"

 _Found them!_ Bickslow pocketed his keys and quickly turned to grab his compact communications lacrima from the coffee table, and pocketed that, too, then took Scarlett back from Lucy and adjusted his hold on her carefully until she was cradled in one arm. "Ideally, sure, I'd want to stay here for the next week until they're back," he admitted. "But I can't really do that. I've got shit to do, and I can't just hide out here because I'm too scared of, I don't know, facing my responsibilities, or the guild finding out." He was just a little scared of the guild finding out before he was wanting them to, but it wasn't like it was something he could avoid forever.

"I suppose that's true," she sighed. They were outside then, and Bickslow was locking the door behind him, though Lucy was only giving him a strange look. All he had was his keys, lacrima, and his daughter. The babies were twirling around him and herself, as they'd come to do a lot during the week. "Wait… You're leaving now?"

"Yeah?"

"…Like that?"

Bickslow glanced down at himself before looking up, his brow furrowing. "Cosplayer, I have no idea what you're trying to say right now." Seriously, he had no idea. He'd showered and changed after she'd left that morning, so it wasn't a case where he'd forgotten to get out of his pyjama pants. Scarlett was dressed in the appropriate amount of layers, and he had everything he needed. Well, he hoped so, anyway.

She fought to roll her eyes as she stated, "You're going out, and you're taking your two-week-old daughter." Bickslow just nodded and waited for her to continue. "Don't you think you maybe want to take a few other things with you? Like, I don't know… Diapers? Some spare clothes for her too?"

"Oh." _Right_. Bickslow could see the logic in that, because depending on how busy the doctor was, he could probably end up just sitting in a waiting room for a while, and… He grimaced at the thought of things getting quite… messy. He didn't want to deal with how disgusting Scarlett could in fact be at the best of times, but when he wasn't even at home? That was an epic nightmare he didn't want to have to experience. "Okay, but, how exactly do you expect me to carry all of that?"

"It's called a diaper bag, and you already bought one."

"I did?"

"Yes, you did," Lucy sighed. "Because you whined for half an hour about how they all looked too _'feminine'_ or _'stupid'_ until you found the black leather one, which is basically just a messenger bag with a few more pockets inside, might I add."

Bickslow remembered that now. But really, all of the ones in the store had just been so stupid looking or pink and flowery or spotty and most definitely for _mothers_ , which he most definitely was not. He'd actually had to compromise with Lucy on what he'd ended up buying – which, he would admit, really was a glorified messenger bag. But it was black, and it looked kinda cool and pretty normal from the outside, and it didn't make him feel like so much of a dork. Then again, he'd never actually used it in the week he had been a parent because he hadn't had a reason to, so there was a good chance he still probably looked stupid with it. He'd never even liked using bags to begin with, having always opted to just carry his things (which was pretty much just his wallet and keys) or shove them in his pockets.

Though Bickslow did know that this was one particular bag he couldn't really avoid using.

Well, when he remembered where it was, anyway. "Uh, well… Any chance you know where it is, too?" he asked with a sheepish grin.

Lucy did roll her eyes then, though she couldn't stop the small twitch of her lips that made her almost smile. She wasn't supposed to be smiling, damn it! "In her nursery, and inside the wardrobe," she answered softly. "I packed it for you, too. Though, most of the things in there you shouldn't need – at least not today."

"Ah, you're amazing." She was like, his favourite person in the entire universe, apart from himself and his daughter, of course. But she was super amazing. She was like, the Amazing Cosplayer… _Aaand here comes the sleep deprivation brain again._ But she was still amazing, and he assumed it was probably part of the reason he wanted her around so much…

Just… not so much right then, admittedly. Because he couldn't really think about her when she was right there, and he really wanted to think about her. Or, well, he _needed_ to think about her, actually, because he was just so confused, and Bickslow didn't like being confused – especially when it came down to whether or not he did actually like Lucy more than he should.

But calling her amazing really just made it uncomfortable again, and he remembered just how weird it actually was now. Though why, he had no idea. So he cleared his throat and looked away – _holy shit, is she blushing now?!_ – and grabbed his keys from his pocket again. "U-Uh, well, thank you," he mumbled. _Oh so awkward… Why so awkward?!_ "I guess I'll just, uh, go and get that…"

"Yeah," Lucy murmured. She was taking that as her cue to leave, and honestly, she was glad she wasn't needed right then. She couldn't handle the awkwardness. Stepping down from the small covered porch, she smiled and lifted her hand in a small wave before turning. "Well, I'll see you… whenever, I suppose." Lucy doubted she'd come back later in the day, and she wasn't quite sure if she would come over the next day either, because really, it wasn't like he needed her…

It was nice being there though. But it wasn't necessary anymore.

"Yeah, whenever."

"Well, see you!" Lucy beamed all of a sudden, and Bickslow only mumbled the same as he retreated back inside.

* * *

Bickslow was anxious.

That was a feeling he really didn't like, and maybe the worst part about him feeling anxious right then (apart from the fact that he was actually anxious), was that it was because of something really, _really_ strange.

It was because he hadn't talked to Lucy or seen her since the previous morning, when she was leaving and he was heading out to take Scarlett to the paediatrician. Where his daughter was concerned, all things were fine, which did wonders for his confidence – something he'd been severely lacking for the last week.

But where Lucy was concerned, on the other hand… Things were most definitely not fine. Or, really, _he_ wasn't fine. The poor Seith mage was still just so confused about his feelings, and that was something that had never happened before. He honestly just didn't even know what to do with himself, because he was simultaneously telling himself he was insane and telling the babies to shut up and leave him alone (for which he apologised instantly and gave them lots of cuddles because he never really meant to snap at them), and also worrying about how much of a horrible idea them sleeping together really was, because he had a feeling it had just made things worse.

It wasn't like he could blame it on being drunk, because he hadn't been. He'd been too sober for that. He couldn't even really blame Lucy for it, either. Sure, she'd kind of started the entire thing by kissing him then, but it wasn't like he hadn't had the chance to leave it as _just_ a kiss. He couldn't have done that, though. Bickslow had no concept of self-control, and he had most definitely had no intentions of stopping her, anyway. So he couldn't blame Lucy for it.

And hell, if anything, he could blame himself for all of it, too. The weirdness. The awkwardness. The uncomfortableness. He could blame himself and put it all down to that first time he had kissed her, because he seemed to realise that that was where everything had fucked up. How just a simple kiss (though admittedly really fucking _great_ , for just a kiss) could have caused so much… damage – he had absolutely no idea. He just knew that somehow, that was why things were different, and if Bickslow had to be perfectly honest, he almost didn't want to know why, because he was worried about what the actual reason would be. He knew it was weird, that was for sure.

Still, though… He was just so anxious that day. He didn't want things to be weird between them, because Lucy really did mean a lot to him, and it wasn't entirely because she really was amazing and he was so thankful for everything she'd done in the last week – Bickslow really did have no idea where he would be right then if it weren't for her helping him. She meant a lot to him because she was, first and foremost, his friend, and as loud and outgoing as he was, he didn't have that many friends. Not ones like Lucy, anyway.

He'd never really had that many close friends though. Not growing up, because he'd really only had his brother, even though he hadn't been born until Bickslow was seven. There was the odd kid that his parents' friends had, but it wasn't like they were Bickslow's friends. He really just saw them when their parents had business matters to attend to, and Bickslow had never really gotten along with any of them, especially since they'd all been older or younger than him by a few years.

But then there'd been the guild and his team. Even then, he wasn't the most _sociable_ , and he'd only really let a select few in, aside from the rest of the Raijinshuu and Laxus. He had friends within the guild, sure, but ones he cared about and saw as his family – there weren't many. Lucy was one of them though, and she had been for a while.

Bickslow didn't want to lose that, too. He'd lost her as a friend once before because of Laxus, though this time, Bickslow was just worried he'd done that himself. And since he hadn't seen her since the previous day, he was a little scared that all of that weirdness and confusion that was now between them was why Lucy wasn't there right then. And, well… He was a little anxious because he missed her, too. More than he should, anyway.

Though whether it was just because he'd gotten used to her being there all day over the last week, or it was because of that strange feeling where he almost felt like he needed her to be there just so he didn't feel so panicked or anxious, he didn't know.

He hoped it was the former. The latter was something he was too scared to delve in to.

So he just sighed and laid down on the floor in his lounge room in front of Scarlett and leant on one elbow. He had a soft toy in his other hand – a polar bear, actually – and was letting her try and grab it every now and then, between trying to tickle her cheek or her feet with it. If it was one thing Bickslow had realised over the last week, it was that babies were boring. At least at that age, anyway. He didn't do much other than just talk to her or cuddle her – which, honestly, he loved doing.

…Apart from when he'd fallen asleep with her on the lounge the previous evening and she'd squirmed so much when she'd woken up that he'd kind of dropped her. That hadn't been fun. But she was fine – or at least, he hoped she was. Bickslow had considered calling Lucy after that, just because he'd been panicking and freaking out about whether or not she'd been really hurt. He hadn't called her though, obviously.

"Okay, but seriously," Bickslow suddenly began as he sat up and then set down Scarlett in front of his crossed legs again, and continued the _polar bear treatment_ somewhat absentmindedly. "What exactly am I going to do?"

Scarlett only turned her head slightly to look up at him – she at least somewhat acknowledged him, and she would occasionally focus on his face if he was close enough, but it was mostly just because she was learning to recognise his voice, he thought. It wasn't like she understood him, though, which was fine.

"I mean, even if I do like Cosplayer, which I probably do because I mean, she's great, and who _wouldn't_ like her, you know?"

 _'Well, probably anyone with a brain would be smart enough not to like her,'_ is what Bickslow liked to think Scarlett would say. Which made perfect sense, of course, because it wasn't like Bickslow was severely lacking in that department or anything…

He was, of course, because he was having a 'conversation' with his two-week-old daughter about his non-existent love life.

"Aside from the fact that I obviously don't have a brain," Bickslow continued, all while continuing to make weird faces and poke his tongue out at said daughter and let her grab the polar bear. "It's not like I have any reason to _not_ like her, either. Again, aside from the lack-of-brain thing. Like really, she's great. And so awesome."

 _She also dated Laxus, which makes her completely off-limits to you._

"I suppose Spark Plug dating her makes things difficult…" he mused. "Then again, I guess there's also the fact that she's Cosplayer, and I'm me, and… And she wouldn't like me anyway. Right?"

 _Right_.

Bickslow sighed. "Right." Of course she wouldn't like him. "So even if I do like her, it's not like she likes me too, you know? So, I mean, I don't even understand why I'm getting so worked up about all of this. Nothing can come out of it, obviously, and even if she did like me, which she doesn't, it's not like we could actually date or anything anyway. Since, you know, I've got you now so it's not like I have time to have a relationship." _Wait, do I even want a relationship? Fuck. Stop thinking._ "And even if I did want one, it's not like Lucy would want a boyfriend who had a kid anyway. So really, the best thing for me to do is just get the fuck over—"

"Bix?"

His head snapped up when he heard Lucy's voice from the other room and his front door close. As Bickslow scrambled up from the ground, picking up Scarlett and the polar bear carefully and quickly, he didn't quite know if he felt better or worse, now that Lucy was over. The scary part was that he thought he almost felt better – not quite as anxious, and he felt a lot calmer and… happier, almost?

Bickslow didn't want to think about that though.

"Hey!" _Oh Jesus. Calm down, moron. Stop being so excited._ He couldn't help smiling brightly as he came out into the kitchen to see the blonde standing by the door and shrugging off her jacket – he always had the heating on a lot higher than she was used to.

"You seem to be in a good mood today," she mused.

Bickslow shrugged. He was now, strangely, but he hadn't really been before. "I guess," he mumbled. Though really, he was just happy Lucy was there. Lucy visiting again – though later than what she was usually there, considering it was a little after noon – had to be a good sign; hopefully it meant things weren't _completely_ ruined. "U-Um, how are you?"

"I'm good, I'm good…" Though truthfully, Lucy was sure she was a little better, having decided to actually visit Bickslow that day. She'd been a little hesitant to, since she hadn't really known if Bickslow would want her there since he obviously didn't need her help anymore, but sitting at the guild that morning had just felt almost wrong. She'd been more uncomfortable in the guild with her team than she had in Bickslow's living room with Gajeel and Levy the day before. So she really would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy spending time with Bickslow, because she really did. Too much, if anything. "How was Scarlett's check-up yesterday?"

"It was good. Doc said she's fine, though he doesn't know anything about her mother or if there were any problems from like, the birth, but he said not to worry about it so I suppose that's a good thing."

"That is a good thing."

"Mm, true," Bickslow hummed. He wasn't quite sure what to say then, to be perfectly honest. He wasn't sure if Lucy had heard any of what he'd been saying to Scarlett, though he assumed not since he figured she'd be a little more uncomfortable if she had, so that had to be a good thing, too. Still… He was sure he would say something stupid if he didn't actually watch his mouth, which was something he rarely did, but saying something stupid was the last thing he wanted to do.

Now the only problem Bickslow faced, apart from actually finding a way to destroy his slightly disgusting and romantic feelings for her (which he assumed were to blame for him feeling really, _really_ funny right then, and being incredibly nervous), was how he would act normal around her and make things more comfortable and less awkward for the both of them.

"But, um." He came back down the hall after setting Scarlett in the bassinet in his room with the babies watching her – she'd been getting fussy and tired again anyway, though it was a miracle she hadn't cried that time – and asked, "Are you… Are you hungry?"

Lucy shrugged and sat down at the counter. "I suppose so." She'd only had breakfast at home before going to the guild, and she really did love the chef in front of her. "What are you going to make for lunch today?"

"Uh, well that depends."

"On what?"

"If you want to stay for dinner or not, too," he mumbled. She stayed every other night, which meant he was used to making her breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert occasionally (though he wasn't good at things like that so it had only been twice he'd made a dessert of sorts). He didn't mind it, either – hell, he actually liked being able to cook for someone else that wasn't his team, and honestly, Lucy's reactions to each dish he made her were so worth it. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to, because I mean, you probably do have other things to be doing now since you've basically been here all week and all," he continued, clearing his throat. "But what I make now depends on whether you want to stay for dinner or not, since what I was going to make can work for either."

"So if I don't stay for dinner, you'll make whatever it is you're planning for lunch. But if I do stay, you'll cook that for dinner and do something else for lunch?" she asked.

Bickslow nodded. "Pretty much."

Lucy pursed her lips and considered it. Really, it was just food, so that wasn't what she cared about that. Literally anything Bickslow made, she loved – that much she already knew. It was about whether or not she wanted to spend the entire afternoon there, and she kinda did, even though she was just waiting for things to get awkward again. For now, though, they weren't, so she was going to enjoy that, because until things got awkward again, she could just ignore the oh so horrible butterflies. She didn't like butterflies, nor did she like the strange calm that settled in her chest, but she was going to ignore that until the end of time. "I'll stay," she said after a moment with a smile before asking again, "So what are you going to make for lunch?"

* * *

Things didn't get awkward again until around dinner. Lunch – which was spicy chicken wraps – had unsurprisingly made Lucy wonder why the fact that Bickslow was really good at cooking wasn't something more people knew. She was sure the guild would be wanting him to run the bar and the kitchen if they knew how good he was. Lucy did, however, want to find out just how he'd gotten so good – she just kept forgetting to ask.

But by dinner, Lucy realised she'd probably missed her chance to do so that day, because things got weird once again. She wasn't quite sure how they had, because they'd just been watching movies all afternoon (or really it had been lunch, then a horror movie that had had Lucy glad it was still light out, then play time with Scarlett after she woke up, then one of Lucy's favourite movies that Bickslow had fallen asleep during), so it wasn't like they'd done much or even really talked.

Yet it had just gradually continued to grow more awkward without her really noticing that much – not until the silence became so uncomfortable, anyway, and Lucy just had to break it, even though it would probably just make things worse.

"Are we… okay?"

Bickslow only glanced towards her as he stood in front of the fridge, beginning to pull out everything he needed to get dinner organised. Bickslow had to admit he wasn't surprised Lucy was asking that, because it was a question that really had been coming, and even if Lucy had been the one to ask it, Bickslow had most definitely been thinking it.

If he had to be honest, though, he had absolutely no idea how to answer it. He wanted to say that they were okay – because really, as vague as the question sounded, he knew exactly what it was about – because he felt that would just make things easier. But then again, Bickslow didn't want to lie and say that it was, because really, they weren't. At least not the way that he saw things, anyway.

He wanted them to be though. Things really would be so much easier if they were okay. If he hadn't let his stupid feelings get involved, he was sure things would be fine, too, just because he wouldn't have a reason to be so goddamn awkward and nervous. He hadn't let his feelings get involved when he'd been sleeping with Cana, and things with her were still great!

But still, just how was Bickslow going to answer that question without actually acknowledging how _not_ okay things really were or lying? He wasn't, obviously. _Though maybe, to get past this stupid weirdness, the weirdness must be acknowledged…_ "U-Um, well…" He cleared his throat as he slowly aligned all of the ingredients on the bench. "Things are kinda weird now, I guess…"

"So I'm not the only one that thinks that?" she mumbled.

Bickslow shrugged. He couldn't even believe it was turning into a conversation, but he knew he couldn't really get himself out of it now. The weirdness had to be acknowledged – though the babies were most definitely glad for that.

"So…"

"So we should just… acknowledge it and move past it," Bickslow suggested.

Lucy nodded. "Right. Because, I mean, there's no reason for us to be weird around each other, because it's not like us sleeping together actually meant anything."

"Oh, of course," he agreed. Nope. It meant nothing at all. Absolutely nothing. "And, you know, it's not like it would ever happen again, anyway, so we really do have no reason to even be weird about it." He moved on to vague hand gestures between grabbing bowls and pans from cupboards as he added, "So we had sex – no big deal. People do that all the time. It's not like anything is different between us because of it."

 _I wish that were true_. Just like she wished that having the most awkward conversation she'd ever had in her entire life (including the horrible one from her first date with Laxus, which had honestly just been a disaster) would make things less weird and makes things go back to normal. And Lucy still hated that they were even talking about it at all, but she really had felt like they needed to. "Right," she said again. "Because it was just a one-time thing, because we're just friends and friends don't sleep together."

"Nope."

"So… We just… acknowledge it and move on."

Bickslow nodded. "It happened. No more weirdness," he said. "That's it. And… We should also stop talking about it because, you know, it's kind of weird as shit."

"True, sorry," Lucy mumbled.

"And," He cleared his throat. "We should also most definitely not let Laxus find out. Because, yeah, I really don't want to be fucking murdered any time soon."

It wasn't like Lucy had any intentions of letting Laxus find out, though she knew that Bickslow wanted Laxus to not find out for a different reason than what she did. Not that that mattered, of course. Still, Lucy wanted that conversation to be over as much as Bickslow did, so she only smiled softly and asked once again, "No more weirdness. So we're good?"

"'Course."

 _"Liar,"_ the babies sang in his head.

Lucy still knew otherwise, because she seemed to know that them actually sleeping together wasn't even the weirdest part of it all – things had been different before then. But… Lucy didn't want to think about that. That was something she didn't want to acknowledge. She just wanted to move past it and forget it was even there, and she just really, _really_ hoped things would just go back to normal on their own. The less she had to deal with, the better.

Though, on the other hand, Lucy did have to admit things didn't feel _quite_ so uncomfortable right then. Which was great, considering all things. "But anyway," she suddenly began again, deciding it was time to change the topic – _finally_. "What are you making?"

 _Oh, thank god._ He'd needed that subject change. "Um, fettuccine," he answered. "With chicken and mushroom." They'd had chicken for lunch, sure, but Bickslow didn't care. He hoped Lucy didn't either.

"Sounds good," she sighed. "But hey, I've been meaning to ask you something." Bickslow only glanced up as he kept dicing up the bacon on the board in front of him. "How is it you're so good at cooking?" And she really had been curious, and she was glad she'd had the opportunity to finally ask him. Lucy would be the first to admit she was useless – especially compared to Bickslow. She'd grown up having everything just _handed_ to her quite literally on a silver platter. She hadn't had to do anything for herself until she'd moved out on her own at seventeen, and the first time she'd tried making herself something for dinner, it had ended in disaster.

She'd improved over the years though, of course. She'd pretty much had no choice considering Natsu was more than capable of eating his weight in food multiple times a day… But she was still horrible. And, since Bickslow had grown up like she had, she was curious.

"My dad taught me."

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm. He used to have this café in Bosco before he moved to Fiore."

"Wait, so the Redfarrows aren't from Fiore? I thought they were," Lucy said.

"No, they are…" Bickslow answered, moving the diced bacon aside to make room on the chopping board. "But the Therouxes aren't, which is what my dad is, and, technically, the _other_ part of my name."

Lucy's eyebrow raised as she watched his hands. She was getting confused, because even knowing barely anything about his actual family, she'd thought she'd known all she'd needed to know. Lucy was sure she had met his father at one point too, when she'd still been a teenager, though she couldn't recall ever hearing that name. "So you're actually a Redfarrow-Theroux?"

"Yup."

"…But you only put Redfarrow on Scarlett's birth certificate."

Bickslow shrugged. "So what?"

"It's a legal document, Bickslow…" she explained. "Even if she's _just_ going to have Redfarrow as her surname, as long as _yours_ is legally Redfarrow-Theroux, you should have that written on it, too."

"Really?" the Seith mage sighed. It wasn't like he used his name for anything (barely anyone knew it, anyway), and even then, the only reason he had two last names was because his father hadn't wanted his name to be completely lost since his mother's name, Redfarrow, was the one that _needed_ to be passed on. On paper, he was a Redfarrow-Theroux, but that was it. He had rarely ever been actually referred to as that in the eighteen years he'd spent there, so he just hadn't really thought it would be that big of a deal if he just put the name he'd grown up being called and referred to on his daughter's paperwork.

She nodded. "It might be best if you try and get that sorted out as soon as you can."

"Fine, fine. I'll do it during the week," he mumbled.

"So anyway," Lucy began again. "So your father had a café in Bosco?"

"Oh. Yeah. Before he moved here and met my mother," he responded. "And he had another smaller one here for a little while too, I think, but then he had to sell it when they were going to get married since my grandparents were wanting him to help with the railway business, and they wanted Mum to focus more on the whole family and kids thing."

"So your dad married into that world?"

"Yup. Anyway, so, after he had to sell his café and after he moved into the estate, I guess he didn't really like having everyone do everything for him, you know? 'Cause he didn't come from that type of family so he wasn't used to it either, but since my grandparents were still there then too, there wasn't much he could do for a while. But, they apparently came to some kind of agreement after a little while, and Dad was allowed to cook and do whatever he wanted in the kitchens, and the chefs were only there some of the time, from what I got told. And then whenever he wasn't working, he was cooking, and he let me help him sometimes when I was really young, and then when my brother was old enough, Dad let him help, too."

Lucy smiled. "That sounds really nice."

"I guess so," he sighed. "Though, really, I kind of just made a mess of things because I was still figuring out the entire soul possession thing and I was putting the babies' souls into practically everything and… they weren't exactly the most cooperative back then."

"And they're cooperative now?" she scoffed.

"Yes!" two of them cheered from where they were, flying around the light fixtures in the kitchen.

Bickslow rolled his eyes. Cooperative was a word he saved for when they had their good days, which wasn't very often. "But anyway," he continued, moving onto the mushrooms after he finished with the onion and put in in a bowl. "I know how to cook because Dad taught me, and it's fun.

"Well, he did a good job of teaching you. I'm pretty sure if you were running your own café or restaurant, I'd be there every day."

"I'll be sure to let him know his efforts were not wasted then," he chuckled. As he turned to the stove, his back now to her, he only added over his shoulder, "He'd probably enjoy knowing that the woman who was _supposed_ to have been his daughter-in-law is a fan of his son's cooking." Bickslow knew he wasn't supposed to be bringing that up again, but he just hadn't been able to help himself that time, even if it was probably a horrible time to say something like that.

Lucy only shook her head, though she couldn't stop herself from smirking. "I know you wouldn't actually say that, so hush. But… Does that mean you'll actually be visiting your parents? I mean, they do deserve to at least _know_ they have a granddaughter."

"I know," Bickslow sighed. "Though, I mean, they already have one, because Lex—"

"Lex?"

"Alex. My brother," he clarified before continuing, "Has a daughter. She's… four now? I think? I can't really remember. But, yeah, I know I need to tell them, I'm just not looking forward to it. I'm supposed to be going back for a few weeks at Christmas, so I suppose they'll find out about Scarlett then." Bickslow usually spent the holidays of every second year with his family, just because it was the only time he saw them. Three, sometimes four weeks pretending to be someone he wasn't – it was always great fun.

Though, even if he didn't like that world, they were still his family, and aside from the fact that he got to be the annoying older brother to the sibling (who was, in fact, technically now older than him, thanks to Tenrou and a stupid dragon that Bickslow hoped to never see again) he had never really wanted once he'd come to actually exist, Bickslow still did love them all. His parents had come to accept he wasn't going to ever go home and stay there for good. Though, like any family, they really did drive him up the wall, and he was incredibly prone to migraines and horrible headaches whenever he went home for the holidays, so that was why it was only a few weeks every second year.

He could just never really stay in that world for long, now that he'd been out of it for a long time.

"I don't think you need to worry about them reacting badly, if that is what you're worried about," Lucy offered.

"Kinda, I suppose. It's just because I know they'll be disappointed in me because of it, but they already are disappointed in me, so whatever. I guess it doesn't matter."

Lucy couldn't even think of anything else to say before Scarlett's crying drifted down the hall. It didn't surprise Lucy that she had woken up since she'd been napping for a couple of hours (she was very good at sleeping, apparently). Bickslow only sighed and took a step back from the stove, but Lucy got up much faster than he could turn, and she was quickly skipping towards the hall with a smile. "No, it's okay. I've got her!" Bickslow opened his mouth to no doubt tell her he could do it, since it was his kid after all, but she only looked over her shoulder before she was out of sight and added, "This is me helping you."

It was a win for both of them, really. Bickslow got to keep cooking, and Lucy got to cuddle Scarlett (which she really, really loved) and take care of her while Bickslow got dinner organised. It was just a little _too_ domestic, which really didn't make the situation with them any easier, but Lucy didn't really mind that much right then.

She'd gotten too attached to Scarlett to care about that.

* * *

"Oh, there's one more thing before I go."

Bickslow looked back towards Lucy who was stepping back from the bassinet after putting Scarlett back down in it, from where he stood in the wardrobe. It was late, and he was exhausted, and now that his daughter was hopefully going to be asleep for the next few hours, he was most definitely going to try and get a little sleep. "Hm?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning," Lucy said. It was just a little strange that Bickslow was basically standing in front of her while changing, but… It wasn't like it was that big of a deal, either. If Bickslow cared, he wasn't showing it, so she wasn't going to care, either. "For a job."

"…Oh."

"It's just for a few days though. Three at most."

He shrugged as he pulled the striped jumper on over his head. "Okay then." Bickslow had to admit he was just a little (strangely) disappointed that she'd be leaving for a few days, but he didn't quite know why. Maybe it was just because he liked the company, as weird as things were. Or maybe it would be because the place would be too quiet with her not there all day, or maybe it was just because he really did like her being there too much.

It wasn't like he could ask her to stay though. Part of him wanted to, and Bickslow had a feeling it was the same part of him that had felt like he actually _needed_ Lucy just a few days earlier when things had started getting strange, but just like he knew it was a horrible idea to think too much about all of that again, because he knew Lucy was aware of how different things actually were, he knew he couldn't ask her to stay, either.

That just wasn't fair. She'd been there for basically a week as it was – she probably wanted to go, too, because Bickslow knew people could very easily get sick of him if they spent too much time with him. He was aware of that.

Besides, even if Bickslow could get her to stay and even if she did want to, there was no way she could come up with an excuse for her team. He didn't even want to know just how many excuses she could have come up with during the week to explain not being in the guild all the time. No matter how he looked at it, Bickslow just couldn't ask her to stay.

And even then, maybe a few days away would sort out the weirdness, and maybe whatever it was that had changed between them would stop being a _something_ , which still terrified him more than it should.

"I mean, I would stay," Lucy mumbled. "But, you know, not everyone _owns_ their home. Got rent to pay and all."

She followed him out into the living room again to get her coat and bag to leave, and she fought to hide how strangely disappointed she was that he hadn't asked her if she _had_ to go on that job. Lucy hadn't even realised she'd been expecting it and hoping for it until then, though there wasn't anything she could do about that, she supposed. She still had to go though, just because she really did need to pay her rent and she hadn't been on a job for the last nearly three weeks.

"And besides," she continued. "You don't even really need me here anymore, anyway."

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say that," Bickslow muttered. Though, then again, him needing her there was really for a different reason now. She was more calming to him than helpful with Scarlett (which she still was, of course). It was odd, although Bickslow wondered if Lucy was aware of that, too.

"I'm sure you'll survive."

"Probably. I might even manage to not drop her again, too."

She raised an eyebrow as she looked over her shoulder by the door. "Wait, you dropped her?"

"Uh… I wasn't supposed to say that," he mumbled. His brain-to-mouth filter was non-existent even at the best of times, which was really a horrible thing, but when he was probably going to fall straight asleep as soon as his head hit his pillow, it didn't exist at all. And really, the last thing he needed was Lucy thinking he was the worst parent on the planet. He already thought that of himself anyway, but having Lucy think it would be painful, to say the least.

"Okay, well I'm sure _Scarlett_ will survive, but try not to drop your daughter, alright?"

Bickslow rolled his eyes. "Oh, be quiet." He knew she was just teasing him, but still. "Now go home already. I'm tired and I—oh fuck, that's cold." The cold wind from outside hit him as he opened the door, and he shivered before he reached for the blonde to turn her and push her towards the horrible cold. "Come on, leave."

"Okay, okay. I'm going," she laughed between making some odd shrieks as she tried to swat his hands away before they settled on her waist to give her a gentle shove over the threshold. "I'll uh, I'll come see you when I get back in a few days then."

He nodded and cleared his throat quietly. "Yup." Why he had thought it would be a good idea to touch her and move her himself, he had no idea. It had been a horrible idea. A super horrible, awful idea. "Don't forget to bring me my hoodie back, either."

"Yes, yes. I'll give it back to you when I get back."

"Good." He really did love that hoodie. "Now go home. Sleep. And, uh… Be careful on that job, too," he mumbled.

"I will," she smiled, and she stepped down off the small porch and onto the path in the yard that still had all the Halloween decorations up. "Night, Bix."

"Night, Cosplayer." And he closed and locked the door once she'd reached the end of the path and had gone through the gate.

* * *

"Hey, Lucy. Are you feeling alright?" Gray asked as he turned to the blonde walking slowly behind them.

Lucy nodded. "Yeah," she answered. "My chest just… hurts a little, I suppose."

"We can rest for a little while if you wish," Erza chimed in from the front. "I'm sure it won't be the end of the world if we end up missing the train home, either. There's bound to be another one shortly."

"No, it's fine," Lucy said, forcing a smile. "It's almost evening so it's probably best if we just—"

Erza huffed and dropped her heavy bag. "It's decided then," she announced, cutting Lucy off. "We will stay here for the night and catch the first train back in the morning. We'll make camp somewhere around here, close to the path, and head into town at first light."

"Aye!" Happy cheered.

"Natsu, Happy – can you two find something to prepare for dinner? I remember seeing a small lake about a mile back. We'll find somewhere to set up camp and you can come find us when you're done."

Natsu nodded. "On it!"

With Natsu and Happy running back down the path the way they'd just come, Lucy sighed and following behind Erza and Gray once again as they veered off into the sparse forest in search for somewhere to make camp for the night away from the trail. "Really, guys, I'm fine," she insisted. "I'm probably just tired and the cold weather is getting to me or something. We don't need to take a break or camp another night. I'd rather just get home tonight."

"We all would, Lucy. But it is getting late, so it's probably safer we spend the night here and head back first thing," Gray said, before mumbling to himself, "And the town gave me the creeps. Don't wanna be going through there at night anyway."

"Besides, if you think you're coming down with something, it's best we rest tonight instead of having you push yourself, just in case it makes you feel worse," Erza added.

Lucy knew she had no other choice but to just accept they wouldn't be getting back to Magnolia until the next day. She hadn't wanted to be gone for a third night, because she really had just wanted to go home and curl up in her own bed, but she figured it was her own fault she was having to spend another night away from home. _I shouldn't have said anything at all._

It wasn't even like her chest really did hurt. Not really, anyway. It was more uncomfortable than anything else; it was like there was simultaneously a weight on it, making it just a little difficult to breathe, yet also like there was something else – something new that was almost making Lucy feel like she really needed to be somewhere else.

Or, something like that, at least.

Lucy didn't even know what she was feeling, which seemed to make things worse. It wasn't even close to anything else she'd felt before, and even when she'd said it was just because she was tired or maybe even because the weather was getting colder as it got closer to winter, she knew it wasn't either of those things. It was something else – Lucy knew that. Just what it actually was, she didn't know.

But it wasn't painful, though. Not really. Just uncomfortable, and she suspected it was the cause for how frustrated and almost anxious she felt, too, which had just been growing worse over the last few days since she'd left with her team for that mission.

She just… needed to be somewhere else; she needed to be back home, where… Bickslow and Scarlett were. And Lucy hadn't meant to suddenly equate Bickslow and his daughter to home, but the moment she'd realised she would rather be back home – and _needed_ to be back there, or so she thought – than out on that job with her favourite people in the world, doing what they were best at, she'd thought of the Seith mage and his nearly three-week-old daughter. She did miss them though, just a little bit. That much Lucy would admit to herself. She liked to think it was just because of Scarlett, because she really had grown too attached to her, but Lucy knew it was Bickslow she missed, too.

Only a tiny bit, of course.

But she was trying not to think about that, just like how she was trying not to wonder how she could have possibly associated that idiot and his super adorable baby to home, and also just like how she was too scared to acknowledge that the strange feeling in her chest that had been making her grow more uncomfortable by the hour had only started developing in those last three days where she'd been gone. Lucy just wanted to believe it was a coincidence, nothing more and nothing less, because she was downright terrified that it actually did have something to do with Bickslow and how there had obviously been something that had changed between them.

Lucy had only let that thought cross her mind once in the three days she'd been gone, though.

At dinner, when they were all sitting around the fire and the fish from the lake that Natsu and Happy had caught had successfully been cooked (or, in other words, not burnt to a crisp) and eaten, Natsu sat back down next to Lucy in front of the fire again and nudged her with his shoulder. "You still haven't told us where you've been for the last week, Luce," he said.

Lucy shrugged. "I've just been busy," she replied.

"You're not in any kind of trouble, are you?" Erza asked cautiously.

"No, no," Lucy laughed nervously.

"You'd tell us if you were though, right?"

"Of course I would."

"Then what?" Gray asked. "You know you can tell us anything."

Lucy knew she could, and that was why there they only few things that weren't shared between them. But the situation involving Bickslow and Scarlett was one thing they couldn't know. Not yet, anyway. And even then, it wasn't something she could tell anyone, either, for it wasn't her secret to share in the first place. Gajeel and Levy finding out was her fault, sure, but even if Bickslow _was_ okay with her telling people about the fact he had a daughter now, she still wouldn't, because she knew that he still wasn't quite _ready_ for people to know. He would've let the guild find out already if that was the case. He was still adjusting and getting used to things _himself_.

"I've been helping a friend with something," she answered after a moment. It wasn't like it was a lie – Bickslow was a friend and she'd been helping him with Scarlett.

"Ooh, with what?" Happy asked.

"It's a secret."

"Aw, but Luce," Natsu whined as he tipped sideways to lean on Lucy. "That's no fair. Tell us, c'mon."

She shook her head and struggled to push the Dragon Slayer off of her with a smile. "I can't tell you. But, what I can say—"

"Tell us, tell us!" Happy chimed in again.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "What I can say," she repeated herself with emphasis. "Is that you'll find out about it on your own soon enough." It wasn't like she had any issues with people knowing she'd been helping Bickslow, because they were friends and friends helped each other out when they were in need. When the time came, she'd willingly admit that she'd been helping him through it so far as best she could, and she really doubted that Bickslow would want people _not_ knowing that she'd been helping him.

That time hadn't come yet, though. And like everyone else, her team would have to wait to find out about her secret that was really Bickslow's secret.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gray muttered.

She shrugged and took a sip from her water bottle. "You'll just have to wait and see." And after that, it didn't take very long before they all started guessing (and yelling) about just what it was Lucy had meant and what she'd been doing in the past nearly two weeks.

* * *

He flung the covers back over his head when the unmistakable whimper began, and Bickslow couldn't help but groan into the pillow before pulling himself out of bed. Just when he'd been drifting off – _as usual._ As exhausted as he was, he still wasn't very good at falling asleep. Or just sleeping in general, really.

But oh well. There wasn't anything he could do to change that now.

So he got up out of his warm and cosy bed, trying to ignore just how goddamn much his chest hurt – he was going with heartburn just for the sake of it, even though the babies had been telling him for the last three days that he knew exactly what it was, whatever that meant – and went and picked up the crying three-week-old. "Alright, come on," he said gently. "I'm up now. I've got ya."

Slowly, he climbed the stairs one step at a time with the babies trailing behind him. "Babies, what's the time?"

"Seven eighteen," they answered happily.

Bickslow sighed – the last time he'd been awake, having had to get Scarlett up for a feed, it had been some time around 4 a.m. Sleep had become a foreign concept to Bickslow already, and as much as he hated it, he just kept telling himself it was worth it.

Sort of.

So after changing her (and grimacing the entire way through, much to the babies' delight), it was back down the stairs, just as slowly as he'd gone up, and over to the kitchen where he fumbled with the formula and the bottle with one hand while keeping hold of Scarlett in his other arm. Then it was just sitting, and waiting, and trying not to fall asleep yet – he could try and sleep after, since all Scarlett did was feed and sleep basically.

And then once Scarlett was back in her bassinet and after he'd had a shower, it was back to bed for a little while, before he got up at half-past nine and did it all again.

Bickslow was making his bed after that. Scarlett was happy, the other babies were happy, and he was… Well, he was awake. And very tired. And the weight seemingly on his chest was beginning to get more than a little annoying, especially since he didn't understand what was even wrong with him (and the babies, who apparently knew and claimed he knew what it was, too, were not giving him any hints). But he did his best to ignore it, because he kind of had things to do that were more important than worrying about why he felt so restless.

Like, make his bed, for example. Because he kept getting tangled up in all of the sheets and blankets and it was a mess, and he didn't like mess.

Though as he folded the top of the dark purple sheet over and placed all of the pillows back against the headboard, he couldn't help but let his mind drift again. _I wonder if Lucy will be back today._ He kind of missed her, for whatever reason, and he figured she'd be a little proud of him for lasting three days all by himself without dropping his kid again. But Bickslow knew he probably shouldn't be wishing she was there so much, too. He wanted to believe it was just because he hadn't talked to anyone for three days (souls and a newborn didn't really count) apart from Gajeel who'd been trying to hide from his girlfriend for whatever reason, and things had just been boring and just a little lonely… But he knew it wasn't _just_ that.

A little bit, sure, but he also just really wanted Lucy there. Weirdness aside, he had come to quickly realise he was just much happier when she was there.

He heard the front door open and close then, and he couldn't stop himself from getting just a little excited. He was sure his heart did a funny thing, too, but he wasn't going to think about that. Oh no. _Heartburn, right?_

"Oi, Bix. Where are you?"

And then Bickslow froze, because that was most definitely not Lucy's voice. Rather, it was her ex-boyfriend and his best-friend's voice.

* * *

 _Ah, yes... So much happened, and I feel the need to explain myself about some of them._

 _Firstly, they're going to be weird around each other. Like, a lot. It will calm down in the next chapter (spoilers, hehe), but there'll still be moments. But you should have figured that out by now._

 _Secondly, yes, I'm re-using Theroux from A Peculiar Situation. Don't judge me! I just love that name so much, and since I'm having him have a very much alive family in this story, I can do so much with it. So, yeah, I'm just really excited to be able to write all of it. Though, really, this is the only chapter in the entire story where he's referred to as Redfarrow-Theroux. From here on out, it's basically just Redfarrow. But for the sake of backstory... yeah, you get it._

 _Thirdly, there's only so much I can do without just giving away everything. I'm kind of trying to hint at it without making it too obvious, but I'm hoping at least some of you have figured out where I'm going with everything (with the weirdness and the strange feelings hehehe). Also, yeah... The odd conversation just had to happen. Don't judge me._

 _Anyway. I think that's it. I'll proof read and update it in a few hours/or a day or so, most likely. Sorry for the countless mistakes that are in this lmao. (Edit: did this already. Woo!)_

 _Also - I updated one of the other chapters. I had Bickslow thinking they would've been married for three years if he'd stayed and all, but it's actually four since it would've been 16 for Lucy and 19 1/2 (nearly 20) for Bix. So, 4 (closer to four, anyway), since they're 20 and 24 in the current setting (Well, Bix is nearly 24 in this)._

 _On another note, I really had planned on waiting until I had this chapter posted, since Laxus and the Raijinshuu have obviously returned, before I posted the LaLu prequel (Better off as Friends), but, yeah... Obviously didn't happen. Oh well. Go read that if you hadn't, since it really does tie in with this. A lot.  
_

 _And now that's it. I hope you liked this chapter, and please remember to leave a review and let me know if you did!_

 _Until next time!_

 _\- April_


	8. Secrets

_Firstly, I'm still on my hiatus (for those that didn't know, there's a note on my profile). Secondly, I just really wanted to post this now, because I figure this is the one that people are most interested in seeing me update right now? I don't know._

* * *

In that moment, Bickslow was wishing harder than he'd ever wished for anything before that it really wasn't Laxus' voice he'd just heard, and that he was sleep deprived to the max and just imagining it all. Really.

He'd been expecting Laxus and his team back in a few days, not right fucking then. He'd really been wanting those few extra days to figure out just how the fuck he was going to tell them he had a daughter, and if anything, he'd kind of wanted Lucy to be there to help him, too. You know, for moral support. Because Lucy was really great and being morally supportive because Lucy was just awesome like that.

Except Lucy wasn't there, because Lucy was off with her own team, doing what she wanted to do because Lucy didn't exist solely for his benefit – or his daughter's benefit, really. But that only meant that Bickslow had to deal with his team on his own. He really didn't want to. Not at all. He would literally rather admit that he really fucking loved _The Notebook_ and it made him cry every time Evergreen made him watch it at three in the morning, and that, was a secret he was going to take to the grave.

But really, maybe it wasn't the worst thing that his team were back early and Lucy was off doing Lucy things, because Bickslow couldn't rely on her. He couldn't get too used to her (well, any more than he already had) being there all the time, or her being there for him. He needed to remember that it was just him. It was always just going to be him, and everything with Lucy was just temporary. She'd just been helping him get his feet flat on the ground.

And even then, the more he thought about it in those short seconds after hearing Laxus' voice – his mind was running way too fast for its own good – Bickslow was realising that it was probably a good thing Lucy wasn't there right then. He was strangely fucking terrified of Laxus right then, and the man had said all of five words. But Bickslow was scared of Laxus finding out about Lucy – or more accurately, him and Lucy, because Lucy was the off-limits girl and he'd been the genius to fuck the off-limits girl.

That was grounds for Laxus wanting to murder him, in Bickslow's book, and he valued his life, strangely. And considering Bickslow was still sure he had absolutely no idea how to actually act around Lucy without feeling like he was a teenager with the most obvious crush in the entire world (honestly, it sucked), Laxus would find out regardless if Lucy was actually there right then. And by under no circumstances could Laxus find out about them sleeping together.

Ever.

Hell, Bickslow was probably just not going to bring up Lucy in a conversation with Laxus ever again. It was for his own safety, really.

So after quickly finishing up with putting the pillows on the bed and glancing over to Scarlett's bassinet by the window, Bickslow was clearing his throat and dashing over the open door. "I'm here," he responded, and he quickly cleared his throat again just as his voice barely cracked. He was off to a great start, obviously, but he decided that it was probably best he leave Scarlett in there with the babies for a little while before he bring her out to meet his team. That way, he'd be able to break the news to them somewhat calmly and then he could bring his daughter out. So Bickslow just made his way out to the end of the hall to greet his team and let his nightmare begin. "Didn't expect you guys back for a few days," he said.

Laxus only stared at Bickslow for a second longer than usual before he just shrugged and traipsed over to the kitchen from the end of the hall. There was something wrong with the Seith mage – something bothering him, maybe – but Laxus wasn't all that interested in finding out, to be perfect honest. _Probably just in one of his moods._ "Yeah, well, the job was easier than expected," Laxus responded as he pulled the fridge open and stared at the shelves. "Got any orange juice?"

"Um… Try the other door," Bickslow mumbled.

"Are you feeling better now, Bickslow?" Freed asked then from where he sat on the lounge, cup of tea already held in his hands.

Bickslow only blinked. "Huh?"

"You said you weren't feeling well before we left for that mission," the Runes mage explained, eyeing Bickslow with concern. "You still look a little tired now, though. And you're wearing your glasses again, too – another migraine?"

 _Did I say I wasn't feeling well? Probably._ Bickslow couldn't even remember. "Um, yeah… I'm, uh… I'm fine," he mumbled again. "Just a little tired and got a bit of a headache. Nothing major."

"Are you sure?" Evergreen asked. She laced her arm through Bickslow's as she came to rest her head on his shoulder and look up at him. She was worried about him, and sometimes, Bickslow couldn't tell who worried about him the most between the three of them. "You don't look okay. Should we go and just let you get some rest?"

Oh, if only she knew how impossible that was now. But Bickslow only shook his head – he didn't want them to leave yet – and smiled down at her weakly and answered, "I'm fine, Ever. Really. You don't have to go." Evergreen looked reluctant to accept it, and she gave him her famous scowl, but Bickslow only quickly stuck his tongue out at her before he freed his arm to turn her back towards the lounge in front of them. "In fact, I kind of need you to stay, because there's something I need to tell you…" He figured he should probably just get it over and done with.

"What? You finally got someone knocked up or something?" Laxus teased from the counter he was leaning on, mint ice-cream in hand.

Bickslow only wondered how the fuck he could be wanting to eat ice-cream right after drinking orange juice, as well as try and figure out why that was always the first thing Laxus assumed when there was something he needed to tell his team. Of course, it was uncannily true that time, but still, it kinda stung when he assumed it… "Fuck you, Spark Plug," he muttered.

"No? Okay, what about…" Laxus continued with his guessing game quickly, only pausing to get another scoop of ice-cream. "You've finally decided you actually like dick and you hate pussy and you're really just as gay as they come?"

At that point, Freed only sighed into his hands, and Bickslow found himself remembering just how many days it had been since he'd called Laxus a cunt. It had been thirty-four. He knew Laxus only meant it as a joke, because the guy was too awkward in social situations (even with them) for his own good and didn't really know what was appropriate and when most of the time (well, when he wasn't trying to be an asshole, anyway), but the man was quickly irritating Bickslow, and when he was exhausted and stressed, that wasn't a good thing. "Laxus, shut up."

"Still not hitting the mark? Damn. Alright, how about—"

"I swear to god I'm going to punch you if you don't shut the fuck up."

Laxus only stared at the Seith mage glaring at him from the opposite side of the room and nodded mutely, taking another spoonful of ice-cream into his mouth. Bickslow could hurt when he wanted to. Laxus almost thought people were lucky he wasn't fond of violence – or, really, getting physically involved in altercations _himself_.

And so with Laxus finally realising that he should just listen (and with Evergreen and Freed glad that he'd realised that), Bickslow sat down on the shorter side of the lounge and rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses, only resting his elbows on his knees. Where the hell did he even begin with that? Could he literally just sit there and straight out say _'Surprise, I have a daughter!'_? _Probably not._ Bickslow couldn't do that. This wasn't Gajeel or Levy; this was his team. It was different somehow.

He just didn't know how to start…

So Bickslow decided to just go with the flow and see where his stupid big mouth took him. It was always interesting when he did that – more often than not it had landed him in a cell for the night for doing stupid shit. But with everyone waiting, Bickslow decided to just get it over with.

"I should probably begin by saying that I lied," he mumbled, still rubbing his eyes. "I was feeling fine when you guys left for that job."

"If you just wanted to take some time off, you could have just said so, Bickslow," Freed stated.

"I know that. But that's not why I did what I did." He looked up to find three sets of eyes focusing on him, two more worried and curious than the other set across the room, and Bickslow only sighed. It was now or never, wasn't it? "Turns out, I have a kid," Bickslow admitted a little reluctantly, and he quickly glanced up to Laxus to add bitterly, "So I suppose your first guess was right."

Laxus only shrugged and took another spoonful of ice-cream. "I mean, it was bound to happen at some point," he mumbled, mouth still full. "But good job, Bix. Life lesson there, for ya."

Shaking his head slightly and ignoring Laxus, Bickslow continued, "But basically, long story short is that the kid showed up at my door that morning, and since I didn't know what the fuck I was going to do, I just didn't tell you guys. I just wanted to kind of figure it out on my own, you know?"

Freed nodded. "That's understandable, but Bickslow, a child is a big thing… You should have come to us."

"Didn't want to get you involved 'til I knew what was going on."

"And do you now?" Evergreen asked. She was almost hurt that Bickslow hadn't told them and that he'd kept it to himself, because they were his family and they were supposed to be able to be there for each other when things like that happened – though Evergreen was still finding it a little difficult to believe that the man before her was _biologically_ a parent, or so he assumed.

Bickslow only nodded.

"So, what?" she pressed. "What's going on now? What's happening with this supposed child of yours? Are they with their mother?" Evergreen wanted to assume so, because for the life of her, she couldn't even imagine Bickslow actually raising his supposed child. He was just… incapable of that, wasn't he? At least with how he was then, she thought.

But Bickslow grimaced. That was the natural thing to assume – that his daughter was with her mother – so he didn't even blame Evergreen for asking… But it kind of hurt, because he knew what she thought, too. He knew she didn't think that he could actually do it, and he knew that Freed would probably think the same, and hell, so would Laxus. But Bickslow still didn't even really think he could do it himself. Lucy was really the only one who truly believed he could, and had from the beginning.

And that was what Bickslow was remembering right then, over it all, as he got up without a word and went down the hall to go and pick up his daughter. And then, when he was back in the living room with all three of his best friends just staring at him in silence – Laxus dropped the spoon right from his mouth – and his daughter in his arms, Bickslow only said, "No. She's with me, because I'm keeping her."

"You're… keeping her?" Freed whispered.

"You can't just _keep_ a baby, Bickslow," Evergreen cut in. "That's not how it works. I'm sure her moth—"

"Her mother doesn't want her, so yeah, I can just _keep_ a baby," Bickslow finished for her. "She quite literally left her at the door, claiming that she ruined her life. Her mother's gone. I'm not. And right now, I've all she's got." To Scarlett, he was really her entire world; he was everything to her, and Bickslow had never been someone's everything. Not until her. But it was a feeling he loved.

Evergreen only watched as Bickslow sat back down where he had before, and when Bickslow smiled down at his supposed daughter, Evergreen only thought that it looked almost… natural. Like it wasn't the first time he'd done that, and like he almost looked _comfortable_ and like he knew what he was doing right then. But Evergreen couldn't really understand that. She couldn't understand how not even two weeks earlier, Bickslow hadn't even known the first thing about babies… But now, he'd been looking after one that was his own for the entire time they'd been gone. She couldn't understand how so much could change in such a short time, because honestly, right then, it was almost like Bickslow was a different person.

Just somehow, there was something different about him.

Almost like he'd somehow miraculously developed a sense of responsibility. And Evergreen had thought she'd never live to see the day that happened.

Still, it was almost nice. She couldn't even begin to wrap her head around it, because never in her wildest dreams had she ever pictured one of her best friends keeping a baby under those circumstances – _wouldn't it have been wiser for him to give her up like her mother had?_ – but maybe she didn't even _need_ to be able to wrap her head around it. Evergreen wasn't sure.

But when the room remained awfully silent, Bickslow's eyes only remained glued to his daughter (how could they be anywhere else when she was awake and in his arms? He'd already admitted defeat) as he only sighed and said, "Just say whatever the hell it is you want to say." He needed them to get it all off their chests now and not later. He needed to hear that they doubted him – he knew they did – and he needed to explain himself, for some ungodly reason.

He couldn't sit in silence.

It was Laxus who decided to go first, though, right as he was grabbing another spoon from a drawer and putting the dropped one in the sink. "Why not give the kid up for adoption or some shit?"

"Because I don't want to," Bickslow answered.

"Bickslow," Freed cut in gently. "It's not just a matter of whether you really want to or not. You have to take what is best for the child into consideration, too."

"I know that." Admittedly, it hadn't taken him very long at all to decide what to do, but he didn't care. He knew what he wanted, and he could be what was best for her. Or so he'd try to be, anyway. "I did think about that. I didn't take it that lightly, you know. I'm taking this seriously."

"Okay, that's great if you are…" Evergreen began slowly. Bickslow could still see how sceptical she was. "But are you even sure she's yours? I mean, her mother could have just wanted to have nothing to do with her so desperately that she just left her on the nearest doorstep…" It hurt her to even think about someone doing that, but she knew there were truly horrible people in the world, and there would be someone, somewhere, would could do that to a child.

Bickslow really did have no doubts about him being her father. None at all. He'd even had a paternity test done when he'd been taking Scarlett for her check-up, just in case by some stroke of _misfortune_ she really _wasn't_ his, and he'd gotten those results back just the day before, surprisingly. _Unsurprisingly_ , though, the kid was his. "Positive," Bickslow said. "She's most definitely my daughter."

"And you're _positive_ that this is really what you want to do?" Freed asked, gesturing to the infant in Bickslow's arms. "A child is a huge responsibility and commitment, Bickslow."

"I know that."

"And you're ready for that?"

Bickslow shrugged. "I've made up my mind. I'm not changing it," he said. Bickslow knew why Freed was asking that, though, because even Bickslow knew how weird it was. _Him_ , who had no concept of responsibility and had never committed to anyone or anything in his entire life, suddenly wanting to take on what he thought was the biggest responsibility there ever was. But that didn't bother him. Raising Scarlett was still what he wanted to do.

And they could each see that for whatever reason, Bickslow was serious about it. He rarely bothered to find to motivation to be committed to something, but this… This was different. His team could see that. They seemed to realise then that whatever they said or pointed out, it wouldn't matter. Bickslow had made up his mind in the time they'd been gone, and there really was nothing changing that. He was wanting to be there for his daughter, and even if they didn't quite understand how that was even possible for Bickslow – not yet, anyway – they saw how he was believing in himself right then.

And maybe that was what was important. Maybe the fact that Bickslow believed in himself enough to look after his daughter himself and take on that responsibility was what mattered, because if he didn't have that faith in himself, he wouldn't be there and telling them any of that at all.

But his team knew they had to believe in him, too. They were his family, and they had to be there for him. And now, that just meant helping him with his daughter, because undoubtedly, Bickslow would need it.

So then Freed and Evergreen were suddenly on either side of Bickslow, leaning over him and looking down to the infant he was still holding. "So does she have a name?" Evergreen wondered, fiddling with the hem of the soft white blanket she was wrapped in.

"Scarlett."

"Ooh, what a pretty name!" Evergreen whispered. "How'd you come up with that one?"

"Uh… I don't really know," Bickslow mumbled. He couldn't really say that Lucy had come up with it. Oh no. Laxus was already looking at him weirdly right then. It was making Bickslow uncomfortable. "Just did."

"How old is she?" Freed asked from Bickslow's other side.

"Nearly three weeks old."

"Aw, so small! So precious!" Evergreen sighed. "Can I hold her?"

Bickslow nodded before he carefully handed her to the Fairy mage. "Be my guest," he mumbled, then he was getting up from between the two mages, leaving them to discuss how cute his daughter was, and crossing over to the kitchen where Laxus still stood. He wasn't there to talk to Laxus, though – even though Bickslow was worried about his silence for once. He was there because he really needed something to drink – or maybe to eat – because his chest was still really fucking _hurting_ for some reason.

So he grabbed the carton of strawberry milk (because strawberry milk was like, to die for) and a glass from the cupboard, then leaned back on the counter next to Laxus and slowly sipped from the glass. "You don't like it, do you?" Bickslow quietly and finally observed. It wasn't really a question, because Bickslow knew what he said was true.

"It's just weird," Laxus replied. "You need more mint ice-cream, by the way."

The Seith mage sighed and watched the man beside him drop the empty container into the trash. "Figures," he scoffed.

"But… Yeah, it's just weird. 'Cause it's you," Laxus said again. "Why the fuck do you even want a kid? They're loud. And messy. And you gotta look after 'em."

Bickslow smiled. "I know that, but I don't care. She's my kid and I love her."

"Ugh. Don't tell me you're going all soft now, Bix."

"Never."

He arched an eyebrow at the Seith mage and looked to him from the corner of his eyes, a smirk on his lips.

"Okay, maybe just a little," Bickslow admitted. But it was for a good cause! "But…" he began, just a little quieter. "I know it's weird. Trust me, I do. Because really, who the fuck would be stupid enough to leave _me_ with a baby?"

"The mother, obviously," Laxus said. "Who is she, anyway?"

"Honestly, I can't even remember. I know her name is Katie something, but that's it."

"Seems familiar."

Bickslow shrugged. Whether or not or name was familiar wasn't important. "Still, though," he continued. "I want to do it. You know, I want to… To be her dad, because that's what I am. I want to be able to do this, and I… I know I can, too." Well, sort of. Lucy knew he could, and that seemed to be what was stopping him from having an existential crisis, because he believed more in _Lucy_ believing in him than he did himself. It was odd, to say the least.

But he still didn't really care.

Laxus only sighed and patted him on the shoulder. "Well, it's been nice knowing ya, Bix."

"Oi, I'm not dying, you asshole."

"Close enough."

* * *

Lucy had been home for less than hour before she was storming out of her apartment to go over to Bickslow's house, of course with his precious jumper in hand.

The fact she was going straight to Bickslow's after getting home wasn't really that much of an issue. She'd been planning on going to see how he'd been over the last few days once she was back anyway, just because she'd missed him a little ( _a lot_ ). But… Lucy had originally wanted to spend a few hours at home first, then maybe head over there in the afternoon after stopping by the guild or something…

But then, after she'd cleaned herself up after getting back from the job and kicked Natsu and Happy out because her apartment wasn't an inn, she'd gone to pay her rent that was due, only to find out it had already been paid. And of course, Lucy had asked her landlady what her unnamed rent-payer had looked like, even though she'd already had a feeling who had done it, and unsurprisingly, _'tall guy with blue hair and a baby'_ had been her landlady's answer.

And then she'd been grabbing Bickslow's stupid favourite jumper (because she'd actually remembered to wash it before she'd left) and storming out of her apartment, not even an hour after getting home, because she had to go and yell at Bickslow for doing something as stupid as paying her rent.

Just what in the world has possessed him to decide to do that? She didn't need Bickslow paying her rent, nor want him pay her rent. She could handle it on her own, thank you very much. She was a big girl. She could take care of herself and pay her bills on time.

Had Bickslow thought otherwise, though? Had he thought that she wasn't capable of looking after herself? Lucy didn't know how Bickslow could have possibly come to that conclusion, because she certainly hadn't wanted him to assume that. All Lucy could remember was mentioning that her rent needed to be paid and that it was mostly the reason she was taking the job at all… But she certainly hadn't meant to make Bickslow think it was some kind of hint. Seeing it as a hint was a stretch, the way Lucy saw it, but she could see how Bickslow could have seen it as one at all.

Still, whether it was her fault or not that Bickslow had felt it necessary to pay her rent for her, she needed to go yell at him about it, because it wasn't the kind of thing that she could just let him get away with. And paying him back was just as important as yelling at him, because she really could afford to pay her rent, contrary to what he probably thought. Just… yelling at him would be more enjoyable. _Way_ more enjoyable.

So Lucy let her anger carry her all the way to Bickslow's house, up the path – she noticed he managed to take the Halloween decorations down while she'd been gone – and up to his front door. She didn't knock, as usual, because it was unlocked already so she didn't even need to use her key, and instead she just quickly pushed it open. "Bickslow, I swear to go—" The sound of the door slamming closed behind her coincided with her voice dying in her throat.

His team was back.

His team was back _early_.

His team was back early and were _staring_ at her.

And really, Lucy didn't think she had ever seen Bickslow looking so panicked. Not even over the last two weeks.

"I… Uh… Um…" Lucy wished she was able to either turn invisible or control time right then. She wished for the latter more, though, just because then, she would be able to pretend she hadn't just walked into literal Hell. It was almost tempting to just turn right the fuck around and run back out the door. But Lucy couldn't do that, because that would require her explaining just why the hell she'd decided to walk in shouting as it was.

 _…But if I do walk out, then Bickslow would have to explain it. That could work, right? Wait. No. No, it will most definitely not work, because he'll probably just tell them I'm a psychopath or something. Damn it._

She was going to have to explain it regardless, it seemed. Lucy didn't like that. At all.

But she had absolutely no fucking clue how she was going to do that. Just like how she had no fucking clue how walking into Bickslow's living room right then had simultaneously made her chest stop _hurting_ , and also made her start feeling like she really fucking needed to be _there_ right then. It was almost like how she'd felt when they'd ended up on the lounge room floor trying to tickle each other to death, just… worse.

So. Much. Worse.

But she was trying hard not to think about that particular issue. It was too weird.

Bickslow cleared his throat then when his team and Laxus were suddenly looking at _him_ instead of Lucy. With the look Laxus was giving him, he figured he had all of five seconds to start explaining why, one, Lucy was there and walking in like that, and two, just why the fuck she was wearing his clothes now _,_ too. The latter was something he was confused about, too, if he had to be perfectly honest, but Bickslow knew how bad it looked, because his team knew just how much he loved he loved that particular item of clothing – they'd only been giving him hell about it for years.

But he had to explain before Laxus killed him and they got the wrong idea. His life quite literally (probably) depended on it. "Um, so, uh…" Bickslow began carefully, clearing his throat again and only quickly glancing towards Lucy as he slowly slinked towards the end of the counter. Moving was an experiment of sorts. "I, uh… I had help with Scarlett. Sort of."

"Lucy was helping you?" Freed asked.

Bickslow nodded. He was at the end of the counter then, just a couple of paces from Lucy. The fact he was feeling slightly calmer and anxious at once ( _honestly, didn't they cancel each other out_?) was almost as scary as Laxus was. But weird feelings he could figure out later. Or at least try to. "Y-Yeah. She was."

"So you went to _her_ instead of us," Evergreen stated bitterly as ever.

"Maybe I should go…" Lucy mumbled. She didn't exactly want to stick around to hear whatever it was Bickslow's team, and especially Evergreen, thought of her now. She didn't even really want to think about why Bickslow hadn't felt the need to bring up the fact that she'd been helping him while his team had been gone until she'd walked in the door. _It probably meant nothing; he might've just not had a chance to bring it up._

But Bickslow didn't want Lucy to leave. He wanted her there more than he wanted his team there. A lot more. He reached out to gently grab her arm when she turned for the door. "No, don't. Please," he said softly, and then he was just as quickly dropping his hand from her arm and bringing it back to his side. _That was… weird._ _Why the fuck did that feel so weird?_ Weird like that time he'd first kissed her, almost. But Bickslow almost didn't want to know what it meant. So he just looked back to his team, all still sitting by the door, and he felt a shiver run down his spine.

He really wasn't doing a good job of making them think nothing was going on. Even if there was _something_ going on, his team, and _especially_ Laxus, were literally the last people on that earth that needed to know about it.

So he just cleared his throat, tried to ignore Laxus – scary and confused Dragon Slayer was scary – and attempted to keep himself somewhat calm as he responded to Evergreen. "Yeah, I did," he said. Really, _he_ was just a little offended by what she'd said.

"…Why, though?" It wasn't really like Evergreen had any issues with Lucy herself. It was just that Bickslow had gone to her over them, and she just really wanted to know why Bickslow had chosen Lucy of all people over the three that were the closest to him. What was so special about her? What was it that only Lucy could've given him then that had been Bickslow's reason for keeping the fact he'd found out he had a daughter from them? That was all Evergreen wanted to know.

"Because she's a good person and I knew she wasn't going to judge me as much as everyone else would."

 _Ouch_. "But—"

Bickslow didn't give her a chance to get another word in before he added, "And I'm not going to apologise for going to Lucy instead of you guys, because she's been more supportive of me doing this than the three of you _combined_ from the beginning." He knew that if he'd told his team instead of Lucy, he probably wouldn't have decided to keep Scarlett. He would've started doubting himself too much. And he was glad he'd gone to Lucy instead.

But after a moment of uncomfortable silence, where Bickslow only wondered if he'd been just a little too harsh, Freed sighed and set his hand over his fringe, simultaneously breaking the silence and fixing his hair. Again. "Well, I do suppose that's true…" Freed said. "We weren't exactly the most understanding of your decision at first…"

"You did keep it a secret from us, though," Evergreen mumbled.

"I could've told you before and you still would've been assholes about it," Bickslow pointed out. "I'm not going to be sorry for keeping it from you any time soon."

Evergreen only huffed and sunk down into the cushions on the lounge.

And then the horribly uncomfortable silence came back, and Bickslow just had no idea what to do. He really wasn't sorry at all for what he'd said – though he still did wonder if it had been just a little mean, because his team did have good intentions and they were really just looking out for him – and he most definitely wasn't sorry for not telling them when he'd found out. Evergreen could whine about that for the next eighteen years for all he cared. But with the silence… Bickslow just had nothing.

Laxus was still bothering him the most right then, too. It wasn't Lucy, whose presence alone was borderline driving him insane in a way that he couldn't even tell was good or bad. It was Laxus. It was _always_ Laxus. And that… That was definitely bad. Because Bickslow really didn't want to be thinking about Laxus. That shit was weird.

But Laxus had been quieter than usual that morning. He'd kept his comments to himself (for the most part), and Bickslow had gotten over it and tried his best to stop worrying about it – _just Laxus things_. But then Lucy had walked in, and she'd honestly kind of just screwed everything up. She hadn't meant to, of course, but that was what she'd done. From the time that Laxus and the rest of the Raijinshuu had shown up, and from the time that Lucy had come to yell at him about something (Bickslow had a feeling it was about her rent), they'd reached an… understanding. They all understood that he was going to keep Scarlett, and literally nothing they could say would change his mind. And Bickslow understood that although his team may not have been all that supportive of the decision he'd sprung on them, they were still there, because they were a family and families stuck together. And the weirdness and awkwardness had mostly gone away when the understanding had been reached.

Or at the very least, Bickslow had just started ignoring the weirdness as best he could.

But then Lucy had walked in, and all of that weirdness and awkwardness had come back. And sure, Bickslow realised he could have saved himself and Lucy some of the pain if he'd just straight up brought up the fact he'd had help with Scarlett over the last nearly two weeks. But he hadn't, just because he'd been so set on not bringing up the fact that he'd spent way too much time with Lucy over the last week and a half, because he really didn't want to give Laxus any more reasons to question what was off with him. Laxus had already picked up on the slightly weirder than usual behaviour, and the last thing Bickslow had wanted was for him to notice how fucking terrified he'd have become if he'd brought up Lucy in a conversation.

He'd had no choice but to do that, of course. And of course he was gonna fucking defend her (and himself, sort of), because he couldn't exactly let Evergreen come even close to offending her. But maybe defending Lucy hadn't been the best idea… Not when Laxus had been there. Because now, Laxus' silence was making Bickslow wonder if he'd be safer moving back in with his parents. At least Laxus couldn't kill him there, and really, he couldn't die.

If he died, they'd find out who he kind of, sort of, put down as a temporary guardian for Scarlett. Though at least if Bickslow died, he wouldn't have to face the wrath that would come from it…

Still, Laxus having not said a single word since Lucy had walked in was creeping Bickslow the fuck out. Was Laxus plotting his murder? Was he waiting until it was just them so he could kill him? Was he thinking of ways to torture him for going anywhere _near_ Lucy?!

Bickslow was convinced Laxus could hear how fast his heart was beating, he was panicking that much.

Well, that was mostly the reason. But surely Laxus couldn't know the _other_ reason… Right? There was no way he could know about them sleeping together… _Oh god. Does he already know?_ Because if Gajeel had figured it out, then Laxus surely could have too… But it had also been like, three days since Lucy had been there. They couldn't possibly smell like each other still – which, honestly, still made his skin crawl. So Laxus _couldn't_ know. That was impossible.

But Bickslow still wanted to know just why the fuck Laxus was looking at him like that. Then again, maybe he should just forget about it all, pack his things, grab Scarlett, and run the fuck back home to the opposite side of the country.

Yes, that seemed like a good idea.

Little did Bickslow realise, of course, was that Laxus was merely wondering just how Lucy had come to be in possession of that stupid hoodie that Bickslow adored so much. He could sort of see why Bickslow would've asked Lucy for help. Sort of. She was smart and relatively unbiased, and, well… She was really great friends with Bickslow, too.

But the hoodie, Laxus had never quite figured out why Bickslow was so attached to it, but whatever. He figured Lucy must have stolen it or something and Bickslow had suddenly grown up, now that he was a father and all, and just hadn't cared. Chicks always stole clothes, didn't they? Laxus was pretty sure Lucy still had at least two of his purple shirts somewhere in her apartment from when they'd been dating. Even Cana was in possession of a few of his shirts, not that Laxus really knew why since the woman didn't even wear shirts in the first place…

 _But speaking of Cana…_

Laxus was bored. He'd been at Bickslow's long enough as it was, and he had a bit of a headache from when the kid had started crying, and he really didn't want to be there the next time it happened.

So that time, it was Laxus himself who broke the uncomfortable silence, not that he thought it was uncomfortable at all. And he merely sighed and got up from the lounge and grabbed his coat from the back of it. "Well, I'm out."

Bickslow didn't know what else to do other than just stare at him. Had he missed something? He was so confused!

"Should probably go find Cana or somethin'," Laxus mumbled. She'd most likely be awake by that point, considering it was close to noon. She'd probably already be well on her way to drunk again at the guild. When he got to the door, the one that Lucy and Bickslow – a very dumbfounded Bickslow, for some reason – were still standing by, Laxus only smirked down at the smaller blonde and lifted his hand to her head to ruffle up her hair. "Later, Blondie," he chuckled. He only just heard her call him an asshole under her breath

Aside from really not finding it all that odd that Lucy had been helping Bickslow, just because she helped everyone with everything – too much, sometimes – Laxus was just a little surprised that she'd managed to put up with Bickslow _and_ his kid for nearly two weeks. He was sure anyone else would have gone insane. Laxus knew he would've. But Lucy had miraculously survived, and really, as much as he wanted to stay to find out just what the fuck Lucy was wanting to yell at Bickslow about, he really did have more pressing matters to attend to. Or… people, to attend to.

Or really, he just wanted to be anywhere where there wasn't a horrible infant that already annoyed him and he'd known her for less than two hours.

He could find out what Bickslow was going to get in trouble for at another point in time, and maybe, just maybe, what had been so off about him. He'd never really been able to drop it, but Bickslow didn't seem to be letting it bother him too much so Laxus had kept quiet.

When the door closed behind Laxus, still leaving Bickslow more dumbfounded than ever, Freed and Evergreen took that as their cue to leave, too. They could check on Bickslow another day. "Uh, well, we should best be leaving, too," Freed said.

And once Evergreen had followed him out and the door was closed and the house silent once again, Bickslow just stared at the door and tried to figure out what had just happened. He was just so confused. Laxus had left without making it even seem like he was out for his blood. And, sure, that was a really great thing, because Bickslow hoped it meant the guy was really none the wiser to the fact that there was really most definitely a _something_ going on with him and Lucy – _some-fucking-how_. But it was still confusing as all hell.

Right then, though, Bickslow really wasn't interested in thinking about Laxus. With everyone else gone, Laxus was the furthest from Bickslow's mind, because literally _all_ he was thinking about right then was Lucy. It was like he needed her right then, like his life seemed to depend on her in that moment. And he really fucking wanted her, too. But it wasn't as much as he needed her, because he could feel that part of him, the one that was _somewhere_ deep inside of him, almost… _hurting_ , all because he somehow needed something from Lucy.

He hated that feeling just as much as he hated the fact he didn't know why he felt that way at all – _still_.

But figuring out why he felt like that – and just what the fuck had happened to make it like that in the first place – could come after. Right then, all Bickslow wanted to do was make it stop. And faster than Lucy could even see it coming, Bickslow was turning and cupping her face with his hands, and roughly bringing his lips down to hers.

Because somehow, Lucy Heartfilia of all people had become his addiction and his cure, all in one. He really wanted to know how, too.

And even if Lucy had had a fight in her, she'd lost it in a matter of seconds. She couldn't even really remember why she was there in the first place. Even if she could remember, Lucy doubted it was as important as letting Bickslow pull _his_ jumper off over her head as they almost tripped over each other's feet going down the hallway.

"You can yell at me later," he quickly mumbled before he threw the old hoodie to the bottom of the stairs.

 _Right_. Because she'd been meaning to yell at him about her rent. She could remember now. Lucy only gave a small nod. "A-And… And where's… Scout?" she managed to ask breathlessly when her mouth was unoccupied for another few seconds, Bickslow's instead finding the side of her neck.

"Asleep. Upstairs."

Then, when it came time for Bickslow to lose his shirt (what, with all the bases covered between her yelling at him and where Scarlett was), right as he found himself being pushed back to the edge of the bed, he only tore his face away from Lucy's just long enough again to take his glasses off. But then her hand caught his wrist and she was murmuring right against his lips, "Keep them on."

* * *

She fell forward onto Bickslow's chest as the last of the tremors began to run through her, and she didn't have the energy to hold herself up any longer. She barely heard the almost inaudible moan he let out when her walls continued to flex around his shaft – not over the sound of her own breathing. But right then, Lucy just didn't have the energy to move. In a few minutes, she'd move. Probably. Bickslow didn't seem to care right then either though, only having moved one of his hands from her thigh just to drape his arm over her waist, so that was good, too.

Because really, Lucy was kind of comfortable. Like, way too comfortable, considering the fact that he was still inside her, and that… was something that probably, admittedly, would have made her feel a little weird if it had been anyone else… But Lucy really was just too comfortable to care. And strangely incredibly happy, for some reason. But for another minute, Lucy was just going to lie there, on Bickslow, because she was comfortable and happy.

Somewhere between the time she'd gotten to Bickslow's house that morning to yell at him about her rent – which she still had to do, but she really didn't feel like yelling at him anymore – and that moment right then, Lucy had realised that Bickslow had somehow been the reason she'd felt so strange while she'd been gone. She had seemingly gone past the point of no return, not even really questioning just how that was even possible, just because she doubted it could be anything other than what she knew to be true somewhere deep down. Somehow, Lucy was certain it had something to do with Bickslow.

And it always did come back to that _something_ , which was a fact that really did worry Lucy now, because she still didn't really understand what was happening.

But there was a part of Lucy that didn't even care to find out what that _something_ that was different actually was. Why did it even matter? Wasn't the fact that she was enjoying things all of a sudden the important part? Did she even really need to figure out just why being away from Bickslow made her so uncomfortable all of a sudden? Or, how she could feel almost _drawn_ to him from seemingly needing him – or anything from him, really – so much? Was it absolutely necessary that she find out just why she could probably just lie there with Bickslow for the rest of the day and be blissfully content?

The bigger part of Lucy, the one that didn't like being in the dark, thought they were questions she needed answered. Weird didn't seem half as bad as it had a few days earlier, just because she knew Bickslow had needed to be with her right then as much as she had, and had seemingly missed her more and more with each day she was gone like she had too… But it was suddenly the kind of the weird they couldn't just acknowledge and move on from.

It wasn't really something they could just ignore anymore, that much they'd both silently come to realise. But as much as they both had come to realise they couldn't ignore, nor _wanted_ to ignore it, nothing was going to be dealt with at that exact moment in time.

Lucy only sighed into his shoulder when she found it in herself to do something other than just lie on him – but she still didn't really move. Or open her eyes. Not yet. She only lifted her head slightly and mumbled, "You paid my rent."

Then Bickslow sighed as he reached up to pull his glasses off and place them on the nightstand, then let his arm return to where it had been around her. He wasn't even questioning why he was wanting to hold her at all, just because the fact he was comfortable like that seemed to outweigh the fact that he really fucking hated post-sex cuddling. Or anything close to it. "Yeah. I did."

"You shouldn't have."

"Wanted to," he mumbled. He'd figured Lucy would be at least a little mad at him over it, but he could deal with that. Even right then, where he was pretty sure he was actually close to falling asleep.

"I didn't want you to, though," Lucy said, slowly beginning to push herself up. "I didn't need you to, either."

Bickslow managed to open his eyes again to look back up to her then, and almost had to fight to keep them open as he said, "I know you didn't." Really, he knew. "But I wanted to do _something_ nice for you, since you're still refusing to let me do anything to show you how grateful I am for you right now." And besides, she'd spent almost an entire week at his house, so it seemed kind of fair he pay her rent for that month. Sort of.

She let out another sigh as her lips curled up into a smirk. _If he's so set on thanking me…_ "Well, you could always just thank me like this," she murmured.

"What? Thanking you by fucking you?"

"Maybe." And maybe the worst part was that Lucy thought it was a pretty sweet deal. "But… I'm paying you back for my rent, you know," she continued, getting back to the topic at hand.

"No you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"No. Don't be stubborn," Bickslow insisted. "And even if you do pay me back, I'm just going to go and pay it again anyway."

She only gave him a stern look then and she frowned down at him. "At least promise me you won't do it again." Lucy could probably deal with just letting Bickslow having gotten away with paying that month's rent, but not again. If he did it again, she would most definitely be paying him back, and if he paid it again after that, she would _keep_ paying him back.

Bickslow nodded and rolled his eyes after a second. He'd lost that one. "Fine. I won't pay your rent again."

"Good," Lucy nodded in turn, then looked down to where their hips still met. _Right. Should probably move…_ Moving seemed like a good idea. "So, uh…" she began softly, sitting up and letting him slip from her so she could sit on the edge of the bed instead. "How'd your team take the whole Scarlett thing?" Small talk. Small talk also seemed like a good idea.

Sort of.

Well, it was better than silence while she put her bra back on, which thankfully, hadn't disappeared that time.

Bickslow only groaned into his hands as he brought them up to his face. "I don't even know," he sighed. "They don't like it. I know that much. But I think they've accepted the fact that I'm serious about it all, which is good, I suppose…"

"But you wish they were more on board with you keeping her, don't you?"

"Basically."

"I'm sure they'll come around eventually."

"Yeah, maybe," he mumbled, turning his head on the pillow to watch her as she reached for her shirt. Bickslow couldn't help but let his eyes wander down from where her hair reached just above the band of her bra, to the swell of her hips… and to the large purple bruise on the back of her left hip. He rolled then (moving required energy and he had so little of it, but he was still surprised he could move at all), and he reached out to lightly let his fingers trace around it. "Wait, how'd you get that?" he asked, suddenly worried about her.

She looked over her shoulder as she pulled her shirt on over her head, then a nervous peal of laughter was slipping past her lips when she realised what Bickslow meant. "Oh. Uh, just from being clumsy, I guess." She'd gotten the strap of her bag caught on an armrest on the train on the way back, and she'd somehow fallen back and onto it. "Nothing to worry about."

"Hurt much?"

"When you're poking it, yeah."

He quickly pulled his hand away and let it rest behind her on the mattress instead. "Right, sorry," he mumbled again, followed by a sigh into the pillow as he found himself getting too comfortable again, sprawled out across the middle of the bed as Lucy got up to retrieve the rest of her clothes and head towards the bathroom.

And by the time Lucy was coming back into Bickslow's room, dressed and cleaned up, she was stopping just outside the closet, and staring towards the bed in the middle of the room.

Bickslow was seemingly out of it. Like a light. Dead to world. And Lucy couldn't help but find it a little funny. She'd been out of the room for like, five minutes at most, and yet Bickslow had fallen asleep. "Is he really asleep right now?" she whispered, just staring to the Seith mage still sprawled across the middle of the bed with his arm out where he'd left it.

"Think so," one of the babies answered as it flew over to him, three of the others trailing behind.

Honestly, she probably would have been kind of offended had it been anyone else, because how in the world could anyone fall asleep that quickly after sex, especially when _she_ had been the one to do all the work?

But she really wasn't, because she knew how tired he was, and, well… He was kind of adorable when he was asleep. He just looked so peaceful and comfortable and Lucy figured it was best he just let him get the sleep he needs. And when the babies went and held the edges of the blanket between their wooden bodies to pull it up from his waist to be draped over his shoulders, and he only sighed sleepily and curled into it, Lucy couldn't help but roll her eyes before she turned on her heels to leave him in peace.

* * *

When Bickslow woke up, it was dark outside. Slowly opening his eyes, he stretched his arm a little further across the bed to turn on the lamp. If it was one thing Bickslow was certain of right then, it was that he didn't want to get out of bed. He was so warm. And so, _so_ comfortable. And naked. Very naked. And he felt like he could probably sleep for another year, he was still that exhausted…

But if it was dark, then he'd already slept for way too long as it was. And he couldn't really sleep for long stretches at a time anymore – he knew that – because of Scarlett, and… _Oh fuck._ _**Scout!**_ _Shit. Fuck._

Had he managed to sleep through her crying since he'd put her upstairs for her nap when his team had been there earlier? Had something happened to the babies to make it so they couldn't come and wake him up just in case?

Just why the fuck was his house so quiet?!

Bickslow was getting out of bed so quickly he almost got himself stuck in the sheets. He pulled on the nearest clothes he could find – the ones he'd been wearing earlier – and he was still putting his arms through his sleeves by the time he was sliding to a stop at the end of the hallway to the sound of Lucy almost laughing her ass off at him. Bickslow was sure he let out of the biggest sigh of relief in his entire life right then. "Jesus fucking Christ…"

"Y-You should see y-yourself right now," Lucy giggled hysterically. Even the babies were giggling along with her now – well, the immortal ones. The _mortal_ baby was just lifting her head slightly from where she was lying on Lucy's chest.

"Shut up," Bickslow grumbled. Why did she have to laugh at him, huh? Laughing was mean. Especially when Bickslow knew that Lucy was damn well aware why he'd most obviously made himself look like a fool and been close to having a heart attack. But really, considering the fact that Bickslow now knew that his daughter was most definitely safe (and probably happy, too, which was always good), he could deal with Lucy laughing at him. He only let out another sigh as he collapsed down onto the lounge next to Lucy in the corner, and he said softly, "You stayed. You didn't need to."

"Well, aside from the fact that I don't mind staying, you didn't really give me much choice."

"Could've just woken me…" he mumbled, then he felt himself almost cringing as he added, "Though I'm sorry I fell asleep like that… That's, ah… Yeah. Sorry. I promise I don't usually fall asleep straight after sex."

Lucy was laughing at him again now. "You sure? That's the… third time you have, isn't it?"

"Okay, for starters," Bickslow lifted his hand to begin counting on his fingers. "First time didn't count because it was the middle of the night anyway, right? And you fell asleep straight after too, so don't even fucking go there, Cosplayer. And I'm going to assume you're counting that round when Scout woke up after as well, but that doesn't really count either because I'm pretty sure that was at something stupid like four o'clock, and we were _both_ half asleep then anyway."

"Okay, okay…"

"As for this time, though… Well, uh…" Yeah, Bickslow didn't really have an excuse for that time, and Lucy knew it. He just shrugged and looked away sheepishly. "I don't know. I've slept like three hours in the last twenty-four hours. I'm tired, alright?"

"And that's why I stayed, you dork," she giggled again. "You needed to sleep." She already knew that Bickslow hadn't exactly been sleeping at all over the last few days. She'd guessed it first, because Bickslow had only been getting a few hours each night, mostly just before dawn, before she'd left for her job. But then the babies had told her that he really hadn't been sleeping at all while she'd been gone.

She still hadn't minded staying, though. Even if Bickslow _hadn't_ been asleep, she probably still would've ended up staying – if Bickslow hadn't wanted her to leave, that is – partly because she didn't really have anywhere else to be, but mostly because she just liked being there. Too much.

But even with Bickslow being asleep for the last seven or so hours, Lucy had had fun. Sort of. She'd been a little bored at times, because she hadn't wanted to make too much noise, and she didn't really want to do anything that Bickslow thought inappropriate, since she really was still just a guest… But she'd had fun. She'd had Scarlett all to herself all afternoon, and she loved the kid – too much – and the babies had kept her company, too. Well, maybe it was more of a case that _she'd_ kept the _babies_ company, because at some point when she'd been watching a movie and Scarlett had been asleep, she'd had the babies in her lap or in her arms and they'd been _purring_. But they'd mostly just been telling her all of Bickslow's secrets.

Sort of.

Still fun, though.

The next time Bickslow was coming back down the hall – after he'd so _elegantly_ told Lucy that he ' _really needed to piss,'_ at which point Lucy had only rolled her eyes – he was heading straight for the kitchen, leaving Lucy to continue playing with Scarlett. "I'm really fucking hungry." He knew it was close to 8 p.m. then, meaning he really had slept the entire afternoon, but it also meant he hadn't eaten since the time his team had been there. And, well… He really was hungry.

"Oh! That reminds me, actually."

He turned away from the fridge to arch an eyebrow at the blonde on the lounge.

"I was, uh… I was kind of guessing you'd be getting up soon anyway," she began, a small smile on her lips. "And I figured you'd want something to eat, but I mean, I can't cook, so I ordered some food from Eight-Island." It was one of the few places in Magnolia that could do deliveries, just because Yajima took lacrima orders and had a strange fondness for Fairy Tail, despite all the trouble they'd caused. She shrugged before continuing, "It think it will be here soon now, actually. I hope that's okay…"

"Oh. Awesome." Saved him having to make anything. And do dishes. He hated doing dishes.

"I didn't really know what to get for you, though, so I just ordered—"

Bickslow waved his hand to cut her off as he sat back down next to her. "I eat practically anything. Don't worry." He really wasn't fussy at all. "But _anyway_ …"

"Mm?"

He couldn't help but lean on her, so his back was almost against her side, and get just a little too comfortable. But really, considering the circumstances, leaning was fine. Sort of. "What did you get up to while I was unconscious?" he asked.

"Nothing much," Lucy answered with a sigh. If Bickslow was comfortable, she most certainly was not. So she only turned slightly in the corner, making it so he couldn't put his weight on her, and swung her legs over his lap. _Now_ , she was comfortable. "I… watched a couple of movies, played with Scout—"

"Scarlett."

"Shut up. You're the one that started it," she muttered. "And… just talked to the babies a lot. They're very cute when they _purr_."

Bickslow snorted. "Super fucking cute. It's why I don't need actual pets. I have souls that are basically cats."

"Does that mean you're a cat person then?"

"No."

"Dog person?"

"Probably," he shrugged. But he really wasn't interested in pets. He didn't have the time to have one so he didn't think about it much. If anything, if he did have the time to have a pet, he'd probably have some kind of bird that he could teach to talk and piss off Laxus. Basically the same as the babies, but in avian form. "But come on, enlighten me. What did you talk to the babies about?" He was curious. Way too curious.

And the sudden smirk on her lips made him begin to worry. The wickedness of it seemed to counteract the fact that he really fucking loved the image in front of him right then, with Lucy seeming way too comfortable and holding his daughter against her chest. Then there was the whole _mental_ image of her cuddling with the other babies at some point, too, because the babies only purred when they got cuddles. They couldn't even feel it. They just liked the attention.

"Well, they told me you missed me," Lucy said smugly.

"Uh…" He scratched the back of his head and turned away from her. Of all the things the babies could have told her, it had to be that. _Of fucking course it did._ _"Babies, why the fuck did you tell her that?!"_

 _"We don't lie,"_ they giggled in his head.

He cleared his throat rather awkwardly. "I, uh… I don't know why they told you that…"

"So you didn't miss me?"

"N-Nope."

"Not at all?" Lucy pressed.

 _Damn it._ "U-Uh, maybe," he mumbled. She knew. She knew damn well he'd missed her. But it wasn't really his fault that he had. Sort of. He pinched his thumb and forefinger together in the air as he just glanced back to her – she was still smirking. "Just a little bit, I suppose."

She knew otherwise, of course. And she could probably tease him a little bit more about the fact he'd missed her, but she didn't feel like it. Bickslow would probably just find something to tease _her_ about. Like, maybe, the fact that she'd really missed him too.

"But, like, in my defence," Bickslow began again, trying to explain himself and get Lucy to stop laughing. "I got used to you being here, and I missed having someone to talk to that could actually talk back to me. That's all."

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"Oh, shut up. Don't give me shit for missing you. You missed me too."

 _And there it is._ "And where's your proof?" Lucy countered.

"You fucked me."

"And?"

The corner of his mouth was tugging up into his own smirk as he leaned towards her again, letting his hand glide up towards her thigh, and ignoring the scowl she was giving him. "You missed me so much you _needed_ me," he murmured.

"Like you can talk," Lucy mumbled.

"Never denied it. Don't plan on denying anything any time soon, either." Besides, hadn't they already passed the point of no return with the whole thing? He'd straight up said that he needed her – or at least he _had_ needed her before – and Lucy had basically said the same, so at least the way Bickslow saw it, they'd crossed some kind of line that they'd probably never wanted to cross…

And really, Bickslow didn't think that _anything_ could be denied anymore. Not really, anyway. The fact that it was becoming way too obvious that there was something else going on made it impossible to completely deny. It probably would be _wise_ to deny everything, but… Bickslow didn't really want to. He was finding it all too interesting, because he was otherwise convinced that nothing about whatever the hell was going on was normal. He wouldn't have felt the way he did – and neither would Lucy – if it had all been strictly _normal_.

It was all just too weird for it to be normal.

"A-And, um…" Lucy's breath almost caught in her throat. She could feel the warmth on her cheeks slowly spreading towards the tops of her ears, and she was almost tempted to lift Scarlett up, despite the fact she was close to falling asleep now, just so she could hide her fact against the infant's stomach. Bickslow was… too close. Way too close. And she was oh so confused. "What does that mean?" she whispered. "What happens now…?"

And then Bickslow was shrugging and quickly leaning back, crossing his legs back under him while Lucy kept hers on his lap, and returning his hand to a much more reasonable place on her shin. "Wouldn't have a fucking clue." Lucy meant what happens with _them_ , right? What else could she possibly mean anyway?

But he had no idea. Bickslow wasn't even sure he wanted anything to _really_ happen, or if anything _could_ happen. Not beyond what they already had which was… something. And then there was the whole Laxus thing which was something Bickslow didn't even want to think about anymore…

Even if Bickslow _wanted_ to figure out what the fuck was going on, and why being away from her for just a few days could make him need her there so much that it almost hurt… He just didn't know _how_ to figure it out.

Thankfully, the knock on his door – the food, he figured – gave Bickslow a reason to leave the weirdness of their situation behind for a little while longer. If he was certain of one thing, it was that nothing was going to be figured out that night. Partly because he didn't want to, and partly because he was really just too hungry to even think straight.

* * *

Lucy walked into a slightly rowdier than usual guild the next evening. Well, sort of. Some of the guild really just looked to be in some kind of daze, some were too busy arguing and yelling at each other about something to even drink anymore, and others just… seemed to continue going about things as usual. Laxus, Gajeel, and Evergreen at one table seemed to be part of those that just didn't care, while Freed and Lisanna were at the bar, busy fanning Mirajane's face.

She'd been out with Levy on a job at the town library all of that day, so it had been another day not spent in the guild or at Bickslow's, but Lucy had only needed to be standing in the guild for all of three seconds to realise that the odder than usual (just barely, though) behaviour was probably because she was no longer one of the lucky few to know about little Scarlett. Bickslow had said the previous night that since his team had found out, it was probably time to let the rest of the guild know. Though Lucy hadn't expected Bickslow to go in and do it _that_ day. _Sooner the better, I guess._

Passing through the guild first to grab a drink from Kinana at the bar and only quietly giggling to herself at the state of Mira, Lucy found her own team sitting at one table and went over to join them. "Hey guys!" she greeted them happily. "What's up?" She was really just waiting for them to tell her what they thought of Bickslow and Scarlett. Lucy couldn't very well bring up the topic herself, could she?

"Well, you missed somethin' weird happening," Gray answered first.

"I don't think it was _that_ weird," Wendy disagreed.

Lucy sighed quietly as she set her glass back down. " _What_ was weird that I apparently missed?" she asked.

"Bickslow has a baby!" Happy answered as he climbed onto her lap and began to rub his head under her breasts – why he'd always done that, Lucy didn't know.

"I know he does," she replied with another knowing smile. Her team all but stared at her with wide eyes. Erza only held her fork with the piece of sponge cake on it right in front of her open mouth, and Happy was peeking up from beneath her chest.

"How do you know that, Lucy?"

"Because he told me about her."

"He did?" Natsu piped in.

Lucy nodded. "Mm-hmm. He told me about her a couple of weeks ago." She took a sip of her drink again before adding, "I told you I was helping a friend with something."

"Oh! So that's where you'd been for all that time."

"Yup."

"What were you even doing?" Gray wondered. He wasn't confused about the fact that Lucy had been helping Bickslow (well, maybe just a little, but only because he'd always thought Lucy hated the guy). He was more confused about just what Lucy had been doing. Just how much help could Bickslow need with a baby? Really, wasn't it just a case of making sure they were warm, dry, and fed? How hard could that be? Even Natsu could look after a baby.

Lucy shrugged. "Helping him figure out what to do and how to do everything, I suppose." _And… having really great sex and eating really amazing food._ "Nothing much. I was mostly just there for moral support I think," she added and she shrugged again.

"Why couldn't you tell us that, though?" Erza asked. "Instead of… Instead of sneaking around. We would have understood, you know."

"Okay, I wasn't sneaking around, thank you very much," she began, rolling her eyes. _Although… I guess it's not far from sneaking around, considering the circumstances… And if we do_ _ **keep**_ _sleeping together then it—god, Lucy. Don't think about it actually being a thing._ "But I couldn't tell you guys, because Bickslow didn't want anyone finding out yet. Only a few people knew. Don't take it personally. I would have told if you I could." Well, she probably wouldn't have. Oh well.

"Well," Gray broke in again. "It's still weird." At the look that Lucy gave him – she didn't think it was weird at all, but then again, she was probably biased – he added to explain himself, "Not the part where you helped Bix. But the part where he has a kid."

"But she's very cute," Erza said.

"She's adorable, isn't she?" Lucy giggled in agreement.

"She has a lovely name, too. Scarlett, isn't it?" she asked, and Lucy nodded. And then Erza's strangely smug smirk was back as she placed her fork back on her now empty plate. "A fitting name for what I'm sure will eventually be a strong young woman. I'm sure Bickslow had that in mind when choosing her name."

Lucy couldn't help but roll her eyes along with Gray and Wendy. Contrary to what Erza most likely thought now, Scarlett was not his daughter's name because he'd been thinking of a certain mage with fiery red hair – or, well, Lucy hadn't been thinking of Erza at least. Erza Scarlet hadn't crossed her mind once when they'd been trying to think of a name for his daughter. Lucy had really just had his last name stuck in her head, and thus _Scarlett_.

"I have no doubts that Scarlett will grow up to be exactly that, but I can tell you that you are not her namesake," Lucy said politely.

Erza's smug smirk was replaced by a small frown. "No?"

"No. And, uh… _Technically_ …" She lifted her glass to her lips again and gave a small shrug before she added, "I named her." Sort of.

"Really?" Natsu asked. Lucy only shrugged – Natsu couldn't think Lucy naming her was a problem, right? But Natsu's brow only furrowed before he continued, "But, hey, Luce… Isn't Bickslow's kid gonna think you're her mum or something now?"

Lucy felt the heat instantly flaring on her cheeks, and strangely, it wasn't because of Natsu. Well, sort of. "W-What? Why would she—no. No, she won't," she said firmly. The thought absolutely terrified her, but she knew she had nothing to worry about. To begin with, Scarlett was too young to know who her mother was. Even if she was her actual mother – which she most certainly was _not_ – it wouldn't be that different. Lucy knew that. Motherly-carried-for-nine-months-bond or not, Scarlett probably wouldn't have known then, either. And then there was the fact that Lucy wasn't planning on spending enough time around Scarlett to let her get attached or start seeing her as her mother.

But with that, Lucy only tried her best to draw the conversation away from her and Scarlett thinking she was her mother (because really, it wasn't going to happen. Not even in a million years), to something that wasn't quite so embarrassing. And thankfully, her team were all too willing to oblige and were soon talking about an S-Class mission as a reward for themselves for their lack of destruction on their last few jobs.

* * *

She sighed as she closed the door behind her, and she set her bag and coat down on the edge of the lounge before she sat just to untie her boots. Lucy could hear the movie on in the dark lounge room at the back of the house, so she assumed Bickslow was in there, and unsurprisingly when she got up to go and find him, he was.

He merely glanced back to her before turning his attention back to his movie. He wasn't even going to wonder why Lucy was randomly visiting him at eight o'clock, because he just didn't care.

What Bickslow did care about, though, was when she decided to use him as a chair. He couldn't help but groan into the pillow he had his arms folded under when she sat herself down right in the dip in the curve of his spine, knees up and heels against his side as her toes curled around the edge of the cushion. "Do you mind?" he groaned, trying to look back towards her without really moving his head much. Or just moving in general.

Lucy ignored it, though. He was comfortable. "What are you watching?"

"A movie."

"Any good?"

"I guess," he mumbled. He had to stretch out a little bit more just to make himself slightly more comfortable before he was asking, "Why are you sitting on me?"

Lucy only shrugged then. She really didn't have that much of an answer as to why she was sitting on Bickslow, just like why she was there at all right then. It was really just because she wanted to. Was that a bad thing? Probably. Oh well. "I don't know. You're kind of comfortable though," she smirked.

"Thank you?"

"But hey, do you have any food?"

"Stupid question." There was always food there. Always. Bickslow lived for food.

She rolled her eyes. "I mean like, _food_ food." She'd sort of forgotten to eat all day, not even at the guild, and, well… Bickslow made really great food. That was probably part of why she was there. Maybe.

"There's lasagne in the fridge," Bickslow answered with a sigh into the pillow. "Go eat that if you want."

"What? You made lasagne for dinner when I wasn't even here? I'm offended."

"I made it for breakfast, actually."

"Why the hell did you make lasagne for breakfast?"

"Okay, it was like three something in the morning," Bickslow corrected himself. The movie still playing really was long forgotten by him. Lucy was much more interesting. "But I was bored and I couldn't sleep, so… lasagne." It worked well, though, because it meant he could just eat leftovers all day and he got to be lazy as hell.

"Right. Well, I'm going to go and steal some lasagne then," Lucy said, and Bickslow just smothered another moan when she had to dig into his back even more to get up. Though Bickslow supposed he should be just a little glad the woman's ass wasn't bony – or close to it. It probably would've been even more uncomfortable if it was.

But that being said, Bickslow just hoped Lucy didn't sit on him again.

She did, of course. And once again Bickslow was having to try and stretch out beneath her to make himself comfortable again. Once he did that, he was okay. Sort of. Apart from the fact that Lucy was sitting on him and seemingly not there for any specific reason at all, other than to just maybe spend time with him and do nothing else but enjoy his company in an innocent and non-sexual way (which he did have to admit was a little disappointing if that was really the case).

But now Bickslow was wondering just why she was there. It was weird, wasn't it? They didn't just hang out for the sake of it or because they had nothing else to do. Not really, anyway. Whenever Lucy had been there before in the last two weeks, it had always been for something else. Like for Scarlett. Sort of. Because Lucy had been helping him with his kid. Kind of. So just when had they moved onto this weird purely casual hanging out? He was curious.

"Okay," Lucy began, cutting another small triangle from the edge of the lasagne piece. "Why is it you're so good at making pasta dishes?" She paused to take another bite before continuing, "Because I mean, this is like, the best lasagne ever. And every other time you've cooked any kind of pasta dish when I've been here, I've been tempted to just stay here for good so you'd have to keep cooking for me."

Bickslow figured it was best he just ignore the part where she said she'd stay there for good. That was weird. Really weird. "Uh, because my dad's from Bosco?" he guessed. His dad had always said Bosco was like the birthplace of pasta, though he'd never really paid much attention or cared all that much. He just let his dad teach him how to cook. "Basically grew up on the shit. And it's not like it's hard to cook."

"Well, you've like, mastered it. I swear."

"You flatter me, Cosplayer."

"Good. That was my goal." She liked giving compliments where they were due, and Lucy was probably never going to stop wanting to compliment Bickslow on his cooking. Lucy was sure that if she ever managed to see Bickslow's father again – because she had actually met him once not long after her fourteenth birthday, she remembered – she would be thanking him profusely for teaching his sons how to cook, because really, her tastebuds were incredibly thankful. "But, hey," she paused again to take another bite. "I heard you told the guild about Scarlett today. How'd that go?"

Bickslow let out a heavy sigh. It was a good thing he'd seen that movie about fifty times before, otherwise he'd probably be annoyed that Lucy wasn't shutting up. But the guild? That… had been uncomfortable. "Could've been worse, I guess." It really hadn't been that bad. Just… awkward, but there really hadn't been a way to avoid the awkwardness of walking into the guild with a baby, so he'd really just had to get it over with. "Got accused of stealing someone's kid, so that was awesome."

"Who accused of you that?"

"Elfman, actually. He was all like, 'It's not manly to steal a child!'"

"Oh no. That's not manly at all," Lucy giggled. "I'm guessing Mira passed out at some point after she found out Scarlett's yours though, right?"

"Oh yeah. Right down. She wasn't even talking properly by the time I left," he answered. The last time he'd seen Mira, she'd been blubbering about babies. Just quickly focusing on the movie playing again, he added cautiously, "You should probably close your eyes now though…"

"What? Why?" she mumbled around the piece of lasagne in her mouth. But Bickslow didn't even get a chance to answer just why she should close her eyes before she was letting out a yelp and whimpering into her hand at the jump-scare. "Damn it, Bickslow! You should have told me it was a scary movie!" And then he was beginning to chuckle beneath her, and Lucy couldn't help but quickly (and, sort of gently) slap the back of his head. "Don't laugh at me, you asshole."

He was still trying not to laugh as he rubbed at the back of his head – honestly, she hurt. "I did warn you. Not my fault you didn't listen," he pointed out. "And besides, I'd started it before you got here. How was I supposed to know you'd come over and end up using me as a chair and eat my food?"

"Because I'm always here."

Well, he had to give her that one. Maybe that was why she there then, though? Just because she was always there and maybe just because she had nothing else to do right then. Bickslow figured he'd probably go and spend time with (or, _annoy_ ) Lucy if he'd had nothing else to do, too – assuming he didn't have a kid to look after, of course. She was fun to spend time with. And hell, he was kind of enjoying himself right then, too, even if she was sitting on him.

But, Bickslow remembered how much of a wuss she was when it came to his favourite movies, so he only stretched out a little more to turn on the lamp on the end table in the corner, and had the babies close the curtains on the back windows. He wouldn't be surprised if she ended up staying, being too scared to walk home again, but that was fine. Sort of.

Though when his daughter woke up not too long after that and started crying from down the hall in his bedroom and made Lucy just about scream, Bickslow couldn't stop himself from laughing at her for the next ten minutes straight.

* * *

Bickslow was bored – so bored he'd spent thirty minutes staring at the ceiling. Bickslow rarely got that bored, too. There was always something for him to do, especially those days. He could cook. Or clean (there was always cleaning to be done). Or sleep. Or watch a movie. Or shower. Or jerk-off (that was always fun to do). Or even jerk-off in the shower. Multi-tasking was such a wonderful thing.

But Bickslow didn't really want to do any of that. And, half of it he'd already done because he'd been so bored for the whole day. He'd even gotten Scarlett's nursery all finished (finally) so it was ready for her to move into when she was a little older. But anything else he'd done: none of it had just been able to keep him busy enough for long, and he'd always been back to feeling bored and just not quite knowing what to do with his time.

It didn't help that his only company that day had been his daughter – not that that was a bad thing, because really, he was completely smitten with her. That much was common knowledge to basically everyone by then. His team hadn't stopped by that day, which they usually did every day or two since Bickslow didn't go into the guild every day, what, with Scarlett and all – he didn't like staying in the guild for long. And he hadn't seen Lucy for a few days, either, and she was really his main source of entertainment (in an innocent way, of course, since they'd come to the agreement that sleeping together again was something they should probably try and avoid).

He was actually starting to get a bit anxious again, though. Like when Lucy had gone on that job before and he'd missed her way too much, but… It wasn't quite as bad that time. It was just making him uncomfortable, partly because he was _physically_ finding whatever it even was in the first place that made him feel like that uncomfortable, and partly because he was uncomfortable with the fact that he was uncomfortable.

Still, Bickslow hadn't been able to stop himself from wondering just why he hadn't seen Lucy for a few days. She'd basically been there every single day, unless she was out on a job, and she'd only been on four since he'd gotten Scarlett – he'd counted. He knew she'd come back from another single day one just a couple of days prior, which had been fine (missing her wise, it had been fine. Sort of), but she hadn't come to see him since.

Did that mean she just wasn't going to coming over anymore? Scarlett was a month old now, and Bickslow was pretty confident he had the whole parenting thing down, sort of, so it wasn't really like _he_ needed a babysitter anymore, and Bickslow could see the lack of importance in Lucy being there all the time. But he still enjoyed it. A lot. He loved her being there, and that really didn't have all that much to do with how he felt about her, which as it turns out, was still something Bickslow had yet to determine (or maybe it was just a case of him not willing to actually accept anything). And when she stopped coming around, Bickslow just couldn't help but wonder if it was the end.

He hoped not. He _really_ hoped not. He'd gotten too attached to her being there – and to just how disgustingly _domestic_ it all felt – and he was going to have no idea what to do with himself if he wasn't going to have Lucy to annoy all day. Then there was the whole issue where he'd just really miss her if she wasn't there to keep him company.

But he already missed her and it had only been like, four days since he'd last seen her. It was a problem that he could only go a few days without really feeling like he needed her. But even just _seeing_ her would be enough, or just being near her. He didn't need to touch her, or even physically be with her. Just being near her would be enough. Bickslow knew that. And that was all he wanted: just to see her and be near her again, because he missed her too much to be able to get her out of his head for more than five minutes, and he just wanted to know if he was going to have to get used to missing her that much, and, well… Bickslow really just wanted to get rid of that uncomfortable feeling in his chest, too.

That was near driving him insane again, because he was unequivocally sure that it was not heartburn – or even anything close.

So just half an hour later, right after Scarlett had woken up from her nap and he had fed her, Bickslow was letting himself into Lucy's apartment – she'd given him a key, strangely. He'd teased her about it, but she'd only said it was to make them even. He'd never actually been inside Lucy's apartment before, though, so Bickslow probably would have found himself wanting to actually take it all in if it weren't for the human-shaped mound under what looked like way too many blankets on the bed in front of the window.

"Go away whoever you are," Lucy groaned. She didn't have the energy to lift her head or push the blankets back to even see who it was. She was just a little glad that they'd walked in and not knocked first – although she wasn't sure if they had a key or if she'd left her door unlocked, which was likely in her state – because she most definitely wouldn't have gotten up to answer the door. All Lucy wanted to do was sleep and keep herself super toasty and warm.

"And you think _I'm_ rude," Bickslow chuckled.

"Wait. Bickslow?" She pushed the three blankets she had over her back and pushed herself up onto her elbow to see. "What are you—" But then she could only stop herself abruptly as a grimace set on her face, and Bickslow only had time to raise an eyebrow at her before she was pushing the covers back and running over to her bathroom with a hand over her mouth.

"…Okay then…" Was Lucy sick? She sure _sounded_ like it, and of course, Bickslow worried. He really couldn't help it. Just like as he sat down on her lounge and held Scarlett up in front of him just to stick his tongue out at her and try and get her to make the weird baby noises he really loved hearing (really, they were so cute), he couldn't help it that his mind was instantly jumping to Lucy being pregnant.

But being sick was a thing though, wasn't it? Bickslow had no idea. Not that it mattered anyway, of course, because she wasn't. Couldn't be. He just had babies permanently on his mind, and he figured Lucy probably just had some kind of virus or something. That was it.

He heard the bathroom door open and close again from behind him and let his eyes flick towards the blonde as she continued to slowly carry herself back to her bed. "You alright?" he asked softly, and Bickslow found a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth when he saw her pink flannel pyjamas with the golden keys and fluffy white clouds. _How adorable._

Lucy sniffled. "Been better." She'd just started coming down with something the afternoon she'd gotten back from her last job with her team, and come the next morning, she'd been too tired to even get out of bed. That had been the day before, and Lucy was still too tired to get out of bed. She felt like death. Literal death.

"Don't doubt it," he chuckled quietly again. But then Bickslow's mouth was opening of its own accord and he didn't even really get a chance to stop himself before he was asking, "You're not pregnant, right?" Bickslow was instantly regretting it, of course, though he couldn't tell who looked more horrified in that moment between the two of them.

"W-What? No! Why would you even ask that?!"

"I'm… not too sure, to be honest," Bickslow mumbled. "But, like… You're not though, right?" Was he actually beginning to think and worry? Yes. A lot. All because he'd said it and now it really wasn't getting out of his head any time soon. "I mean, it's not like I was wearing a condom or anything each time… A-And, like, uh, that was, what? A couple of weeks ago now? And you're sick and—"

"Bickslow, just shut up," she groaned. She really was too tired to be even thinking about having an actual conversation right then, especially about Bickslow suddenly thinking she was knocked up. She was climbing back into her warm and cosy bed with another sniffle and roll of her eyes as she added, "I'm not pregnant. I can guarantee that."

"But like—"

"I have the flu, you jackass. I'm not throwing up because I'm pregnant." She paused to cough into her forearm. "And even if I was, which I really, _really_ am _not_ , I wouldn't be sick yet."

Bickslow nodded. "Right. Of course." He was just being stupid, wasn't he? Of course Lucy wasn't pregnant. She was probably on some kind of birth control anyway, because she was smart, and he wasn't, and she probably wouldn't have actually slept with him at all if she wasn't and he'd promised her he was clean (which was probably one thing Bickslow always remembered to make sure of), because it wasn't like he'd really thought much about consequences. And really, Bickslow knew he should have, considering he had a daughter for that same reason, but it was obvious he hadn't learned his lesson regarding safe sex yet.

He'd learn it one day. Probably.

But still, Lucy was most definitely not pregnant. Nope. Couldn't have happened. Because Bickslow trusted her that she was fine.

He was just over-thinking things and worrying for no reason.

"U-Uh, sorry, I guess…" he mumbled.

And of course, with Lucy really just wanting to get it away from the awkwardness that had just transpired so she could put it to the back of her mind for all eternity, she was quickly changing the subject. "So," she started. She tossed her used tissue into the small bin by the edge of her bed before she pulled all of her blankets up to her chin again. "Why are you even here right now?"

Bickslow shrugged, though internally he was sighing in relief. He was so thankful for the subject change. "Haven't seen you for a few days and I just, um, you know, wanted to see what you were up to."

"Well, I've been sleeping. And feeling like I'm dying."

"I'll bring you some soup in the morning."

"Mm, soup sounds so nice," Lucy hummed. "But you really don't need to do that. You shouldn't be here now, either. I don't want you getting sick, or… or Scarlett getting sick either."

He waved his hand dismissively, keeping Scarlett in his other arm. "We'll be _fine_." Then he looked around at where he was sitting on the lounge in the middle of the room, and was only shrugging again as he looked back to Lucy with a smirk. "Well, as long as you're over _there_ and I'm over _here_ , I think. I figure there's less germs over here."

"Shut up."

He would never shut up.

But Bickslow had to admit he was just a little relieved she was sick. Sort of. It sucked that she wasn't feeling well, and Bickslow was probably going to be making her soup anyway because soup was amazing when he had a flu – and he made a really nice lemon and chicken soup – but he figured Lucy being sick was probably why he hadn't seen her for a few days. At least, that was what Bickslow hoped. That made more sense. Sort of.

And still, even when Lucy kept telling him to leave because she didn't want to get him sick – it really was why she hadn't been to see him since she'd gotten back from her last job – he still stayed. She wanted to hate it, because she felt disgusting and all she wanted to do was sleep and stay warm in her bed, but she couldn't hate it. Even with Bickslow just sitting there and not even really saying anything to her, just playing with his daughter quietly, Lucy couldn't hate it. She couldn't hate him being there. She strangely enjoyed it, because she'd started missing him again, even when she'd tried really hard not to.

But as much as she enjoyed Bickslow being staying right then, and Lucy knew why he was, because it was the same reason she didn't mind him being there at all despite being sick and not wanting Bickslow to get sick too, Lucy couldn't quite get herself to fall back asleep. She probably would've been able to if it weren't for the fact Bickslow was doing a really bad job of hiding just what was on his mind. He was trying, sure. Lucy could see that. But she still knew what he was thinking about and it was driving her insane.

Lucy really wasn't interested in telling Bickslow that he really had no reason to worry about her being pregnant, because it wasn't something he needed to know about at all. But apparently, even just promising that she really was not pregnant wasn't enough for Bickslow to get it out of his mind. And really, the last thing Lucy wanted to be dealing with right then was Bickslow worrying about her being knocked up. She didn't have the energy to deal with that.

She needed to get him to stop thinking about it once and for all. Lucy was sure she still had a pregnancy test from around the time she'd been dating Laxus, just in case she ever had a reason to suspect she might be, but she never had, of course, so it had just stayed there because she'd just never gotten around to moving it from the back of her bathroom cabinet. Of course, her lack of desire to ever really clean her bathroom seemed to be a good thing all of a sudden since Lucy was pretty sure the only reason she could get Bickslow to stop internally panicking was if she _proved_ she really was not pregnant. She would probably wave the stupid thing in his face if she had to.

So grudgingly, because she really didn't want to get out of her warm bed at all (though, she really did have to pee so she would have had to get up anyway), she kicked all of her covers back with a frustrated sigh again, and stormed over to the bathroom and slammed the door again. Bickslow didn't think much of it, thankfully, and instead just shrugged and made a face at Scarlett.

So then Lucy just proceeded to sit on the edge of her tub with her chin in her palm as she counted in her head. Part of her didn't even believe she was doing it at all, because she really never expected to be taking a pregnancy test in her life at all. But desperate times call for desperate measures, right? Not that it was a desperate time or a desperate measure or anything. Sort of.

Still, when she'd finished counting in her head and when the time was up, Lucy let out a small sigh when she got up to pick the stick back up from the corner of the sink. She was already completely convinced that it would be negative, just because she had zero reasons to believe it would be anything else, yet she still couldn't help but steal a glance at it out of curiosity.

And then she was quickly looking back at it a second time because Lucy was sure her eyes were suddenly playing tricks on her. But even rubbing her eyes and squinting to try and figure out if she was actually seeing _that_ only seemed to make her heart slowly sink into her stomach, and she felt like throwing up all over again.

That… was not supposed to happen, though. She wasn't supposed to see _two_ goddamn lines. And, granted, it was just a faint line, but it was really there. And Lucy really didn't fucking know how it was, because it really shouldn't be. There was only supposed to be one line! And Lucy could most definitely not wave _that_ in Bickslow's face, because the guy would probably freak the hell out if he saw that and it would make things worse.

But Lucy didn't know what she was supposed to do right then. She wanted to just ignore it, pretend she hadn't taken it at all and go about the rest of her evening as usual (well, as usual as she could get, considering she was still sick). But she couldn't. She couldn't get it out of her head, and she was sure she'd be too busy panicking and being paranoid about that fact that she really was _somehow_ pregnant if she just ignored it, because she already _was_ panicking and being paranoid about it, even though she knew that it was _impossible_ she was pregnant. Even if she was a couple of days late, which wasn't the worst thing to happen – not when she was sick – it was still impossible.

She just couldn't be.

Yet she was still worrying.

Lucy knew she needed to get rid of Bickslow though. He couldn't be there. He couldn't be there because she needed to go and put an end to her worrying and put her mind at ease again, and he couldn't know that she needed to do that at all. All Bickslow needed to know was what she'd told him earlier: that she wasn't pregnant. She was still sure of that.

When she came back out of her bathroom, sniffling again, she went straight over to her door in a rush and held it open. Bickslow gave her an odd look when she did, and she just shook her head and looked somewhere else. "You need to go. Now."

He didn't want to. Like, at all. He really liked her cute little apartment. But he got up nonetheless and quietly asked, "What? Why?"

"Because I… I need to go out," Lucy answered meekly. It wasn't even a lie. She needed to go out and see her doctor, just so he could remind her she was stupid and had nothing to worry about at all. And it was getting late as it was so she really did need to leave before his office closed for the day, so Lucy merely pushed the door open all the way into the empty hall and went over to her dresser. "Please, just… I need you to leave, okay?"

Bickslow was worrying now, though. Not about what he hadn't been able to get out of his head – because really, what if she really was? – but instead about what had Lucy sounding so… frantic. He could hear it in her voice, and how could Bickslow _not_ worry about what was suddenly making Lucy panic? If she'd done a better job of hiding it, he probably wouldn't have wanted to question it and just assumed she wanted to get some rest and didn't want him there because she was sick, but now he needed to question it.

"You okay?" he asked gently as he headed towards her rather than the open door. "What's wrong?"

Lucy shook her head again and continue looking for something warm to go out in. "Nothing. Nothing is wrong. I'm fine."

"You're a terrible liar. I know something is bothering you. Tell me what it is. Please."

"No."

"Come on, tell me." Bickslow came around the side to push the drawer she had open closed and leaned on it to keep her from opening it again. He really could be annoyingly persistent – so much so that Lucy was bound to tell him what was bothering her just so he would stop asking her. It probably wasn't the best way of getting her to tell him what was going on, but it would still work. Well, hopefully. "Seriously, you know you can tell me anything," he said softly.

Except that she couldn't. Lucy only quickly opened another drawer to pull out a pair of jeans and turned her back to him to retreat to her bathroom, clothes in hands. "I can't."

And when she even locked the door behind her, just so Bickslow couldn't be as annoying as he wanted to be, he merely leaned against the wall right next to it and continued trying to make her crack. "You know I'm not going to leave until you tell me," he said through the door. And when he didn't get a response from Lucy, he continued, "Where do you even need to go anyway? I thought you wanted to stay in bed for the rest of the night."

She did. But she couldn't.

"If you need to go and get anything, like medicine or something, I can get—"

"No, Bickslow," Lucy groaned. "Just go away."

"No."

" _Please_."

"Still no," Bickslow said. He honestly couldn't care less about the fact that Lucy didn't want him there right then. That wasn't necessarily a good thing, sure, but Bickslow didn't care about that, either. "I'm worried about you."

"Don't be."

A smile lifted his lips for the barest of seconds as he looked to the still closed door beside him. "Can't exactly help it, Cosplayer." Really, if there was a way to stop worrying about her right then, he would've found it. "But seriously, just tell me. Please. I'll probably just have the babies follow you if you don't tell me what's up."

The threat of the babies following her had a cold sweat forming on her brow – though maybe that was the fever. She wasn't quite sure anymore. But the babies couldn't follow her. Neither could Bickslow. Because either way, they'd find out where she'd gone, and she couldn't have that happen. It was bad enough Bickslow had run into her just after one of her appointments at the start of the year and he'd seen her at one of her worsts.

She just shook her head as she quickly tied the ribbon up around her ponytail. "They can't do that. _Promise_ me you won't make them do that."

The fact that seemed to scare her made Bickslow all the more curious. "Then just tell me," he said. "I'm not going to leave you alone, you know. I can't. Please, Lucy. Just tell me what's going on. I really am worried about you."

The door was pulled open suddenly and out Lucy walked out without so much as a glance at him. She made a point of ignoring him as he followed her around the room again, just because she was so close to turning around and _telling_ him just to make him stop. But Lucy really didn't want Bickslow to know, because it was still hers to deal with and it was always going to be _her_ problem. Bickslow didn't need to deal with it. She didn't want him to deal with it, either, but she was so close.

"If you don't tell me soon, I'm probably just going to start guessing…" Bickslow continued.

Guessing was bad. Guessing was very bad.

But Bickslow didn't really want to do that, either. He just wanted Lucy to tell him herself. "Seriously, just tell me what's wrong and I'll leave you alone. I promise." It would probably be nothing, anyway. Or it would be something personal that Bickslow wished he hadn't known. But still, he wouldn't have a reason to keep annoying her if she would just tell him. He could be on his merry way once he knew.

But that was what had Lucy spinning around to face him at last, just because it was a promise he wouldn't be keeping, and she was a firm believer in promises. "But you wouldn't," she pointed out, almost desperately. "You wouldn't leave me alone if I told you."

"Why not?"

And Lucy just wasn't able to keep her mouth shut. And with the most frustrated of sighs, she cracked. "Because I took a pregnancy test just before because I knew you were still thinking about it even though I said I wasn't, and it was just annoying me so much that you were still being paranoid about it at all. And I really wanted to just _prove_ to you that I'm really not, but it wasn't negative and I don't even know how that was possible at all and I just… I need to go and see my doctor to sort things out, okay?"

Bickslow just stared at her for a few moments as he tried to process what Lucy had just blurted out. That… wasn't exactly something he could leave alone. Not at all. His brow became furrowed as he continued trying to get his head to wrap around the fuckery that was seemingly occurring. "Wait, so…" He swallowed to ease the dryness in his throat. "You took a pregnancy test and it was… positive?"

Lucy winced. She'd said it. Oh, she'd said it. But it was all Bickslow's fault, anyway. "No."

"No?"

"…Yes." And at the look of sheer confusion on the Seith mage's face, Lucy found herself wanting to just crawl into a box and never come out. At least that way she would be able to avoid Bickslow. She only shook her head and turned to grab a coat to put on. "It was… positive," she mumbled. "But I'm not. I can't be. It's just… I don't know. But I'm not pregnant." But she still needed to go and see her doctor to tell her just how it could have been anything _close_ to positive. Maybe it was just a faulty one or something? _Yeah. That was probably it._

And maybe it was because he was an oblivious male when it came to all things related to pregnancy and babies (though, not quite so much babies those days), but Bickslow was confused as all hell. "But… Doesn't a _positive_ mean you _are_?" It was beginning to hurt his head.

"Yes. But I'm not."

 _Is she in denial or something?_ It wasn't like accidents didn't happen – he had living evidence that they did in his arms that very moment. But getting two different women knocked up in the space of a year? Bickslow was sure he was really going to hell for that. And as much as he loved Scarlett and as thankful he was that she existed, he could most definitely not have another kid. His brain couldn't even comprehend that.

But still, just how the fuck could Lucy be so certain that she wasn't pregnant when she'd supposedly taken a test that said otherwise? The fact she'd taken one at all was something Bickslow was never going to get his head around, because it really hadn't been necessary (or maybe it really had been considering the result?). He wouldn't deny the fact he'd still been thinking about the possibility of it, but he would've stopped at some point, because he trusted Lucy and he had believed her when she'd said she was good before and that she wasn't pregnant…

Just… not so much right then.

He only brought a hand up to rub at his forehead. Really, his head was beginning to hurt and so were his eyes. He'd been needing his glasses a lot more than usual. "I really don't understand," he mumbled. "How are you… How can you be so sure that you're not pregnant when the test was positive?"

"Just because."

"And what if you actually are?" Bickslow continued. Lucy was really beginning to get frustrated with him now – that much he could see – but he didn't care. He needed to know what he was supposed to do and think right then, other than freak the fuck out. He needed to know how Lucy could be so sure of herself right then, because he just couldn't find it in himself to believe in her confidence right then. And he really didn't like himself for it. "What if you actually are pregnant?"

"I'm not." She didn't know how many times she could say that without just turning around and telling him the truth she didn't want to say. She only grabbed her house keys and her bag to leave. "I can't be."

"You keep saying that but I don't understand _how_ you can be so sure of that. And I really fucking want to know how you _can't_ be pregnant when you literally just stood there and told me the test was positive!"

That was what had Lucy spinning around on her heels to face him once again, and she could barely keep her voice from breaking when she quickly blurted out, "Because I'm not supposed to be able to have children _at all_."

* * *

 _Yeah... So that happened. Lots of things happened, really. Sort of. Not really. I don't even know anymore. What I do know, though, is that half of this probably wasn't necessary - specifically that weirdly fluffy (I think) part after Lucy had talked to her team, and of course, the part with her team. I just... I felt conflicted about whether or not they should be there at all, but they stayed._

 _But as for the other stuff... I should probably apologise for making it seem like Laxus would be out for Bickslow's blood. I couldn't help myself there. But... You know, he will eventually find out. I'm not saying anything about how that will turn out. That's my little secret for now.  
And the **other** stuff... Yeah, that happened. I did have that in the LaLu prequel (Better off as Friends), and so again, there was a reason that this chapter and that story were posted so closely together. But we all know that Lucy's pregnant like five years down the track, too, so there's that... *giggling mischievously in the background* _

_It's all coming together slowly... I promise everything ties together at some point. It's still back and forth for a little while (you know me), but eventually, there'll be explanations. Funnily enough, this is probably the one story that I've planned out the most. I think I actually have **everything** planned out for this story. Kinda odd. _

_Anyway. Fluff is coming, I promise. And actual smut. Eventually. (No, really - this is my sin story before my other story that I was supposed to write last year that is literally just smut.) I still hoped you enjoyed this chapter, though. Please leave me a review and let me know what you thought! (Honestly, tell me you hated it if you want to lmao.)_

 _But again, I am still on hiatus. This chapter was just an exception. I'll probably be coming off in a few weeks once I have a few more chapters written for other stories._

 _\- April_


	9. Cuddles Are the Cure to Everything

_Wow... Super long chapter this time around. I apologise. But, I don't think it worked being split up, and all of these chapters have been long so far anyway._

 _Anyway. First off, holy fucking shit, thank you all so much for the reviews on Chapter 8?! Like, wow?!_ _Secondly, this was such a pain to edit with how long it was, so if there's any mistakes, I'm sorry I couldn't fix them all. I'll get them at some point in time._

 _But as usual, more notes at the end, so enjoy!_

* * *

Bickslow was sure his brain shut off at that moment, because for the life of him, he couldn't think of anything to say right then. Bickslow didn't even know if there was anything he could or _should_ say right then, because if there was one thing Bickslow was sure of, it was that what Lucy had just said was not something he should know at all.

But she'd told him, because he was being an insufferable jerk about the issue, and he had _pushed_ her to telling him.

It was Scarlett beginning to squirm a little and letting out one quiet cry that had his brain slowly kicking back into gear though, and Bickslow was quickly looking down to her and away from Lucy who he had in fact been staring at. But really, the last thing Bickslow wanted to be dealing with right then was his daughter crying. There were slightly more important (well, sort of) issues he wanted to sort out – like Lucy, for example. So Bickslow was only lifting Scarlett up a little more so she was resting on his shoulder and he was gently patting her back – he hoped that the kid really just wanted a cuddle, which would make sense since she'd been getting really needy all of a sudden – before he was looking back to Lucy and watching her seemingly stop herself from having some kind of breakdown right then and there.

"You mean… You, ah…"

Lucy glanced back over her shoulder to the Seith mage. "That I can't actually get pregnant?" she finished for him with a shrug. Maybe Bickslow hadn't quite understood what she'd blurted out, or maybe he'd just been trying to find the correct words to even ask her if that was what she'd really meant. She didn't know what the case was, but it didn't really matter, either, because it didn't change anything. "Yeah, that's what I mean."

And Lucy really hadn't wanted Bickslow knowing that. She hadn't wanted _anyone_ knowing that, because she just hadn't been able to see how it was really anyone's business. No one else had _needed_ to know. Not yet, anyway. But Bickslow… He'd just kept pushing and pushing and Lucy hadn't known what else to say. He'd given her no choice, and now here they were, with Lucy hating herself for blurting something so personal out to Bickslow of all people and still freaking out because she didn't know how the test could've been positive, and with Bickslow thinking god knows what about her now.

What Bickslow thought of her now was almost something Lucy didn't want to know about, just because she didn't want him to pity her or feel like she needed sympathy from him. But Lucy already knew that Bickslow was probably already pitying her, just because he was the kind of person to do that, and she hated that right then. Lucy didn't want or need anyone feeling sorry for her, especially when it wouldn't change anything.

But even if Lucy could sort of deal with Bickslow knowing that she couldn't have children (because he really hadn't given her much of a choice in telling him), she most definitely did not want to talk about it. Not in a million years would she want to talk about it, and _especially_ not with Bickslow. Even then, she had things to do and places to be. She couldn't talk to Bickslow even if she had wanted to, and she just happened to really not want to. Not even a little bit.

With Bickslow still staring at her with a dazed (and apologetic) look he did so well, Lucy only shook her head and turned her attention back to getting ready to leave. She needed to go and see her doctor before he left for the day, because the sooner she had her mind put at ease over just how the fuck it had been positive (surely it was just something being wrong with the test. It had been sitting in her cupboard for close to a year so maybe it had already expired?), the sooner she could go back to curling up in bed. So after getting back up after quickly pulling on her boots, Lucy was pulling her bag from the hook by her dresser and turning for the still open door again. "So, now that you know, you have no reason to argue with me about it," she rambled. She still didn't look up to Bickslow again as she hovered by the door, holding it open and just hoping that he would finally get the message and go home. "I really need you to leave now, though. Please. I just… I need to go and sort this whole thing out, and you can't be here."

Ah, and she was back to kicking him out. Right. And as little Bickslow was actually opposed to leaving right then, just because he was strangely having a hard time wrapping his head around it all and he really just needed to sit the fuck down and let himself process it for some bizarre reason (and really, he had no idea why he even seemed to care so much about it because it really wasn't any of his business that Lucy supposedly couldn't have children. Well, sort of), he still couldn't quite see the importance of Lucy going and seeing her doctor about the positive test right fucking then. Couldn't it wait? It was nearly five; the day was nearly over. Lucy wasn't going to get anything achieved that day. Even Bickslow knew that. And that wasn't even taking into account that she was still sick. She needed to be back in bed and getting her rest and getting better, not walking around town and spending god knows how long worrying, because Bickslow knew she was worrying. She wasn't hiding that fact.

It was just that Bickslow didn't quite know why Lucy was worrying so much. If anything, she was more panicked by it than he was, and that just… didn't make sense. Bickslow could have understood why she'd be so distressed if she hadn't just told him what she had, but now, he just didn't get it. What was there to worry about if she couldn't even have children in the first place? She really couldn't be pregnant, right?

It just… It had to be something else. Because Lucy could most definitely not be pregnant. And Bickslow didn't want to argue with her about it. Not anymore. He just had to believe her, because that just wasn't something he could doubt her on.

Still though, he was worried about her. Especially so considering the circumstances. But Bickslow still just wanted to make sure she was okay, and he doubted her going out to see her doctor right then would help her in the slightest. That could wait. Really.

"You're not… You're not actually going out, are you?" he asked, having remembered how to actually form words and do something other than stare or hug his month old daughter.

Lucy shrugged. She didn't have the time, nor the energy, to answer simple and stupid questions like that. "Well, yeah," she answered. "I need to… To go and see my doctor before he leaves so he can tell me how it could have been positive. And I… I just… I really don't want you here right now, either." And the last part might've been just a little harsh, sure, but it was the truth. She couldn't deal with Bickslow right then.

And really, Bickslow wasn't even that offended by it, which is why he simply ignored it and pointed out, "Lucy, it's nearly five. It's getting too late for you to be doing anything right now."

"I know that, which is why I need to go _now_ , so can you please just—"

"No, you really don't," he insisted over the top of her. He was going to get the last say in the matter right then. He had to. It was really for Lucy's own benefit, anyway. And even if she was honest to god terrifying him right then, just because she looked just about ready to punch him in the face for being so annoying and persistent about it all (though Bickslow was glad she probably didn't have the energy to), Bickslow was still only carefully stepping forward just so he could slowly reach for her bag and pry it away from her. "You can go and do that in the morning."

But the sooner she got it dealt with, the better. "But—"

"Nuh-uh-uh. One night isn't going to make a difference, alright?" Bickslow said softly. Lucy was, of course, having none of it – couldn't Bickslow see that she just wanted to go and do it right then and not worry about it all night? – and she only stepped forward quickly to snatch her bag back from him. Except that was the exact moment her room decided to spin again, and Bickslow was quickly steadying her with a hand on her arm. "What you _need_ to do," he continued, gently turning her away from the door, "Is go put those _super_ adorable pyjamas back on, and get back in bed and get some rest so you can get better, because you're sick. Well, uh, not because… You know… But because you have a cold or whatever."

Lucy nibbled on her lip as she looked back to her bed piled high with her blankets. Curling up in bed really did seem like a better idea all of a sudden. And Bickslow was right, too. She really could go and visit her doctor to get some kind of answer in the morning. At least if she waited until morning, she'd be feeling a little better (hopefully) and might have a bit more energy, so she wouldn't feel like she was dead on her feet…

And even then, considering the fact moving made her head spin and want to throw up, going back to bed seemed like the _best_ thing to do right then.

"Maybe, uh… Maybe that's a good idea…" she mumbled. _I'll just go first thing in the morning when his office opens…_

"Right?" Bickslow only inwardly sighed in relief; he was just glad she wasn't going to argue with him about it, because it really was for Lucy's own benefit. So he was only moving his hand to her back and gently guiding her away from the door and back to her bed to sit her down on the edge of it, then he was quickly looking around the room before heading for her bathroom to pick up the pyjamas she'd left in there to hand them back to her. "Seriously though, these really are adorable," he mused. "They're very _you_."

She sniffled and let out a quiet and laugh. "Thank you, I think."

"Anyway. You're going to put these on, and then you're going to go back to curling up in bed, and you're going to keep yourself warm and get some rest, okay?"

Lucy nodded, already having pulled off her boots again and begun working on shrugging her coat off.

"And, uh…" Bickslow cleared his throat before continuing, "You can go, um… See your doctor in the morning, and, uh… You know, find out how it was positive." Even he wanted to know how it was positive, but for some reason, he didn't really want to ask Lucy to tell him what it actually meant. He felt like she'd just want her privacy, especially since he'd already invaded it enough.

Lucy nodded again. "Can you still leave now though?" she whispered. "I just… I really don't want you or Scarlett getting sick because of me…"

"Right, yeah. I'll, uh… I'll leave now. But really, keep warm. And sleep. And drink lots of water."

"Yes, yes. I will," she sighed. Though Lucy did have to admit it was strangely nice how Bickslow seemed to care so much right then, and she especially loved the fact he wasn't even coming close to bringing up what she had told him before. "Just go already."

"Alright, fine. I'm going." Bickslow was only rolling his eyes as he left the blonde behind him and faced the door. He strangely wasn't all that interested in seeing her get changed right then. Any other day, sure, but not then.

Right then, Bickslow was more interested in going home and going back to staring at his ceiling.

* * *

Lucy had to hold back the urge to shout at Bickslow and ask him just what the actual fuck he was doing there right then when he sat down next to her in one of the waiting rooms of the clinic she was at. By under no circumstances should Bickslow be there, but he was, and she really wanted to know why. So quietly, she only asked him that. "Just what on Earthland do you think you're doing here?"

Bickslow sniffled a little as he shrugged. "I, uh… I don't know." And he really wasn't all that sure why he'd shown up at all, because he really wasn't supposed to be there, but Bickslow had just wanted to be there. Moral support, maybe. And considering Lucy was still bouncing the knee she had her other leg folded over, Bickslow was thinking Lucy was just a little nervous right then. He didn't exactly blame her for it, either. "So, uh… What's happening?"

He didn't need to say anything else for Lucy to know just what he was asking. "I have to have a blood test," she mumbled.

She had already been in to see her doctor. She'd done that as soon as the clinic had opened at eight and she'd been her doctor's first patient before his first actual appointment. The only problem was that her doctor wasn't as sure as she was that she was most definitely not pregnant, and he wasn't all that confident in saying that it was really just something to do with the test she had taken. So he'd ordered a blood test just to be sure.

Lucy was still telling herself it was nothing, though. It just had to be. She'd had three different doctors tell her the same thing – that she couldn't have children and wouldn't ever be able to get pregnant – so she just really could _not_ be pregnant.

But she'd take the stupid blood test anyway, even if she'd already been waiting in the small room just outside the lab that the clinic had for over half an hour. The whole waiting part was really not doing anything to ease her panic, and even if Lucy was _so_ annoyed that Bickslow was somehow there right then, she was also strangely glad. He was calming.

But she was still curious as to _how_ Bickslow was there right then, too. There were so many doctors and clinics in Magnolia it wasn't even funny, and she'd been in that building for over an hour at that point, so if Bickslow had actually been following her (which she really hoped he hadn't been), he would've had to have been waiting outside for the last hour or something. And that… That was kind of weird.

She only glanced back to him when the door opened and one of the people who had been in the waiting room before headed for the stairs. "How did you know I was even here?" she asked.

"I, uh…" Bickslow cleared his throat and sniffled again before he answered, "Kind of had one of the babies look for you."

"You _what?_ "

"Don't give me that look. I went by your apartment first. You weren't there, so I figured you'd uh, be seeing your doctor about the… thing. And then I was curious, so I had one of them look for you, and uh… Now I'm here."

It really wasn't that bad. A little weird, sure, but it wasn't the worst thing to happen in the entire world. He really was just curious, though. Was it a crime to want to know what was going on? Probably. But Bickslow really didn't regret letting one of the babies go be a little stalker, because if he hadn't done that, he wouldn't be able to sit there and be her friend.

But Bickslow had been there before. Sort of. His own doctor was on the opposite side of the town, but Bickslow had seen that particular doctor's office and clinic before. More specifically, he'd seen Lucy walking out of it in tears once before when she'd still been dating Laxus. He hadn't really thought much of it until the previous night when he hadn't been able to get his mind to shut off, because he'd always known that whatever had had Lucy so upset back then wasn't any of his business (and she hadn't wanted to tell him anyway. That much he'd known and accepted long ago). But now Bickslow couldn't help but wonder if that one time he'd really been able to talk to her when she'd still been with Laxus all those months ago had anything to do with her not being able to have kids. She'd said she'd just gotten some bad news, but all kinds of bad news could come from a doctor's visit. He'd never even suspected that it could be something like not being able to fall pregnant, but now… That was _all_ Bickslow suspected it to have been about.

And like he'd been her friend then, he was being her friend now. Because really, Bickslow just thought Lucy really looked like she needed a friend right then. Nothing more and nothing less.

Lucy thankfully got called in just a few minutes later. She got just a little dizzy as she stood up from the uncomfortable chair, but she did her best to ignore it, just like she was already ignoring how sick she still felt – she was so over the flu already. The assistant had almost closed the door behind Lucy after pointing her towards the large chair, but as soon as she saw the vials and the needles sitting on the tray next to it, Lucy was spinning back around and quickly walking back out into the waiting room and grabbing Bickslow's arm to pull him to his feet.

"Miss, he can't—"

"He's my distraction," Lucy said quickly.

The woman in the white-striped shirt only turned her attention to Bickslow, looked him up and down – something that made Bickslow just arch an eyebrow at her – and then just rolled her eyes and turned back around. "Fine, whatever," she sighed before muttering to herself, "Definitely a distraction…"

Bickslow only shrugged and let Lucy drag him into the small room to be her distraction. Really, he had no issues with that. He wasn't even bothered by what the technician had said, nor did he have any intentions of finding out what _'definitely a distraction'_ even meant. He just didn't care.

"You, on the chair," the woman said, pointing Lucy towards the large chair once again. She turned to Bickslow then, and just shook her head. "You can just do whatever it is you supposedly need to do. Just don't get in my way."

He nodded. "Yes ma'am." He wasn't going to be getting in her way. Oh no. She was scary. Bickslow only pulled a stool out from a bench behind him and sat himself down in front of Lucy, just to her left. As the technician finished up with a form on the bench on the other side of the room, Bickslow only found himself holding both Lucy's jacket and her bag on his lap before he quietly asked, "So, uh… How exactly am I supposed to be your distraction?"

Lucy shrugged and did her best to not look at the tray laid out next to her arm on the armrest. "I don't know. I just… I don't like needles. Or blood tests. Or anything like that," she admittedly quietly. "I just need you to keep me from paying attention to it." She'd probably end up actually being sick if she were to look down and see her blood slowly filling one of the vials. It had happened before.

Bickslow had never quite understood how people could hate tiny little needles so much, especially since he had tattoos so he couldn't see how anyone could find blood tests or anything of the sort _painful_ either, but he still wasn't going to judge. He wouldn't judge Lucy of all people for it, either, and especially not right then.

She wanted a distraction? He could be her distraction.

"Alright. Um…" Bickslow cleared his throat as the woman put on the latex gloves and spun around on her own stool to face Lucy. He was pretty sure the woman got far too much enjoyment from the sound of the glove snapping against her wrist, but what Bickslow really didn't enjoy was how Lucy visibly looked like she was going to be sick any second now. _Distraction time._ "Uh…"

Turns out, Bickslow had no idea what he was supposed to say to distract her.

And knowing that, Lucy only ignored the woman tapping on the inside of her arm with her fingers and she kept her eyes on Bickslow. Really, it wasn't all that difficult, especially when he was wearing his glasses (which she had already realised she loved way too much). "Where's Scarlett?" she asked.

"Oh! She's with Freed and Mira actually," he answered. "And Ever, too, I guess." He'd only asked Freed and Evergreen to watch her for an hour or two at most, and all of a sudden, Mira had been running up and offering to babysit her. So, Freed and Mira. Really, there were worse people he could leave his daughter with.

"Alright, you might feel a bit of a pinch now."

Lucy nodded at the woman and made a point of looking to the corner of the room. It wasn't that they _hurt,_ because they didn't. She just didn't liked needles. They made her uncomfortable and squeamish and she couldn't help it.

"Hey, Lucy. Look at me, okay?" Bickslow said, sitting forward on the stool. When he only got a quick glance from her before she was turning her head back and towards her right arm, Bickslow was gently touching her chin and getting her attention again. "At me, okay? Otherwise I'll _make_ you look at me."

She sat back slightly when she was sure she saw the quickest of flashes of brilliant green in his eyes behind the black frames as he gave his weak threat. "Did you just—"

"I did," he smirked. Just for a second though. Bickslow wouldn't ever use his magic on Lucy anyway, not unless he really had to – like their lives actually depended on it – but this wasn't one of those moments. He was just having a bit of fun and doing his job as a distraction. But he only shrugged when Lucy looked just a little more worried. "Ah, don't worry. You're fine as long as I'm wearing these anyway."

 _So they block his magic too like Ever's glasses do…_ Lucy only nodded again, and that time, she kept her eyes on the Seith mage. "You look tired," she sighed. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Not at all."

"Bickslow…"

"It wasn't from a lack of trying." Because really, he'd tried. He'd tried really hard to get some sleep when Scarlett had been down, but it just hadn't happened. He'd been too busy thinking about Lucy to get any sleep. "I'll sleep later," he promised. Bickslow figured he'd crash at some point anyway, especially if he was coming down with the horrible dose of the flu that half of the guild – and Lucy – was currently out with. He still hoped not, of course.

With a loud sigh, the woman was taping over the small cotton ball on Lucy's arm and swivelling back around on her stool to face the bench again. She was grabbing a pen and another form as she said, "You'll be able to come back in after the weekend for the results. Don't bother coming in on Monday though. Any time after then will be fine."

"Okay," Lucy nodded. So she still had three more days to get through before she could go and see her doctor again. It was probably going to be a very long three days, that was for sure.

"Close the door on your way out, too."

When they made their way back outside and fell into place between everyone else heading to work or wherever else they needed to be that morning, Lucy shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket and glanced up to Bickslow with a small smile. "Thank you, I guess," she said softly but loud enough so he could actually hear her.

"For what?"

"For being my distraction." And sure, Bickslow hadn't had to do much and it hadn't been for long at all, but Lucy was thankful.

Bickslow only shrugged. "Ah, it's fine. Just glad I could be somewhat helpful," he said. "Are, uh… Are you heading home now?"

"Yeah," she sniffled. "I still feel horrible. Just want to go home and hide myself under all the blankets I own for the next three days."

It was a great mental image. Really. And Bickslow couldn't help but smile at it. It was just the 'three days' part that had his smile faltering and he was glancing back down to her as they walked to quietly ask, "Are you worried? You know, about what the results will be?" Because if Lucy was worried, then Bickslow should be worried too, right? That was the way Bickslow saw things anyway.

And honestly? Lucy really was just a little worried. She didn't want to be worrying about what the results would come with, but she couldn't help it. She was still sure she wasn't pregnant – never was and never would be – but there was a tiny part of her that was terrified of walking in to see her doctor on Tuesday morning to be told she really was somehow knocked up. And still, deep down she knew it wouldn't happen, but she was so scared of it.

"I… I don't know. I guess I'm a little worried about them," she admitted before quickly tacking on, "But it's silly, I know. I just… I just never really expected to be having to do any of this at all, you know? It's weird."

"I get it." Well, he didn't it, but he understood what Lucy meant. He got it. It was weird.

But then Lucy was suddenly coming to a stop beside Bickslow on the busy street and shaking her head lightly. "You know what?" She didn't look up when Bickslow stopped in front of her. She only roughly pointed in the direction they'd just come and said, "I actually need to go and pick up a few things before I go home, so I'm, uh… I'm going to go and do that instead."

It was a lie, too, of course. Sort of. She didn't _desperately_ need to go and pick anything up from anywhere, but there were just a few things she could go and get then – like tissues, for example. And disinfectant to wipe down every single surface in her entire apartment once she was over her sickness. But if anything, going and getting those things then was just a reason to not have Bickslow walk her home like he'd done so many times before. As calming as he'd been before, Lucy was back to not wanting to deal with him right then.

When all of it was over, things would go back to normal then. And normal was just a few days away.

Strangely, though, Bickslow knew Lucy wasn't exactly being that truthful, and it didn't bother him as much as it should. She just wanted her space. He knew that. And that was fine. He nodded down at her as he said, "Oh. Alright. Yeah, okay." There were things he could be doing right then anyway. Probably.

"So, yeah… I'll, uh… I'll see in a few days when I'm… better." _And most definitely not pregnant._

"Yeah. See you then," Bickslow mumbled. And once he couldn't see her anymore, having lost sight of her between everyone else on the busy street, Bickslow could only sigh to himself quietly before turning and heading on his way again. He figured he should probably go and rescue his daughter from the demon.

* * *

By the end of the day, Bickslow felt like death. Or really, worse than death. Death itself was probably sitting up (or down) somewhere and laughing at him and his misery. All Bickslow wanted to do was wrap himself up in as many blankets as he could and sleep.

But Bickslow couldn't sleep. He had a baby to look after. But then again, Bickslow couldn't exactly look after his baby if he just did not have the energy to. There was sleep deprived, and then there was _dead on his feet,_ and Bickslow was most definitely the latter. And at that point, he was not capable of looking after his daughter, and when he was sick, he really didn't _want_ to be looking after her. He didn't want her getting sick, and he was paranoid that she would, even if he tried really hard to avoid it. She was just so little and defenceless!

So that was why Bickslow did the only thing he could think of and asked his team – well, Evergreen and Freed mostly – to watch Scarlett for the next night or two. Just while he got over the worst of the horrible cold that he had unfortunately caught too.

But with Freed (and probably Mira, Bickslow figured) taking care of Scarlett that particular night, Bickslow's house had been just a little too empty and a little too quiet for him to actually stay at home. So that was how he ended up at Lucy's apartment again, only letting himself in and ignoring her question him as to why he was there as he kicked off his shoes, before dragging himself over to where she laid on her lounge just to wedge himself behind her and under the blanket with her.

"Shut up," he mumbled before Lucy could actually question it again, making himself as comfortable as he could be by wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her in close to him. "It's not weird. You made me sick and I might've gotten you knocked up. This is nothing." What was wrong with cuddling, huh? He liked cuddling. Sometimes (most definitely not after sex though, because that was weird). He just didn't do it very often and the only other person he actually _did_ cuddle with was Evergreen, because they'd always stayed up together and watched movies and fallen asleep on the lounge.

Cuddling was nice, though. And with Lucy? Bickslow liked that way too fucking much, and he honestly had no idea where it had come from. He'd just really wanted to, and it most definitely was not weird.

Well, it was maybe just a little weird, considering the way he'd just put it. But it was still nice. She was so warm and Bickslow always loved being warm.

And honestly? Lucy just didn't feel like complaining. She didn't really _want_ to complain either. It was kind of nice, even if she really hadn't wanted to be dealing with him earlier. So Lucy only curled into him a little more as she pulled on the blanket again and went back to staring at the lacrima screen before her and waiting for her movie to start. "What makes you think _I_ made you sick?" she asked. "You could've gotten it from anyone."

"'Cause I spend most of my time around you," Bickslow mumbled. "And it's not like I could've gotten a cold from my kid."

"Who's taking care of Scout anyway?"

"Freed. And Mira, probably."

"Your house?"

"Nope. Freed's."

She glanced back over her shoulder at him. "Then why are you here?" Lucy asked again. Really, if Bickslow's house was empty, then why couldn't he just stay there? Not that she was complaining of course, because she was comfortable now…

She was just curious.

Bickslow only shrugged from where he laid behind her, head propped up with one elbow on the pillow. "Kinda just wanted to cuddle," he mumbled.

"You wanted to cuddle?"

"Mm-hmm. Cuddles are like, the best medicine in the world, too. They make everything better. It's a win for both of us, really."

"You sure about that?"

"Positive. Besides, I, one, give the best hugs ever," he pointed out, but of course it was something Lucy already knew. "And two, I don't hear you complaining, which means you don't mind it."

"I… Well…"

"Exactly. So just let me fucking snuggle with you, alright?" He just wanted to snuggle. That's all. And Bickslow really was a firm believer in cuddles being a cure-all. He was feeling better already.

Lucy couldn't help giggling. Well, until her chest and her throat protested that is and she found herself curling forward and proceeding to cough up a lung or something, with Bickslow only gently rubbing circles on her back until she had her breath back again. "Fine. You can stay," she sighed. She knew full well Bickslow had no intentions of leaving anyway, but she wanted to say it regardless. Lucy waited until she was comfortable again before adding, "I never thought you were a _cuddling_ type, though."

"Shh. Don't tell anyone," Bickslow whispered.

"Uh-huh. Sure," she laughed weakly again. But now her movie was finally starting and that was more important. "Now be quiet, otherwise I really will kick you out." Probably not, because he was warm, but she liked empty threats.

"Two questions first, and then I'll shut up."

She rolled her eyes and let out another sigh. "Fine. Go."

"What are we watching?" Bickslow asked.

" _Alice in Wonderland_."

"Oooh. Original one or new one?"

"Original, of course," Lucy answered. It was one of her absolute favourites, especially when she was sick. It always cheered her up. "Now is that it?"

"No. I still have one more question." He was sure he actually felt her roll her eyes at him, but he ignored it just to lightly tug on the fabric of the white shirt she was wearing and asked, "Are you wearing my shirt?"

"Uh…" Okay, so Lucy might actually be wearing the shirt that she'd ended up borrowing from Bickslow when Scarlett had dirtied her shirt, but she'd only wanted something comfy to wear after getting back from seeing her doctor and getting her blood drawn, and the shirt just happened to be at the top of the particular drawer she'd opened. And it was a really, _really_ comfortable shirt. "No."

He chuckled quietly at the blush he could just make out on her cheeks. "No?"

"No. Because it's my shirt now." Or at the very least, she was permanently going to be borrowing it. Bickslow didn't care about it anyway. He'd said so himself. "Now shush."

* * *

Bickslow had never been so comfortable in his life. He was sure it had something to do with the fact he'd just spent the last three or so hours curled up with Lucy under a million (well, three) blankets on her bed. He was just so _warm_ and so cosy and he just didn't want to leave. If anything, Bickslow was glad he'd gotten sick, because _holy fucking hell_ could he stay there for the next _week_ and not want to move a single muscle. He really could.

He was so far past thinking about how _perfectly_ Lucy seemed to fit in his arms, because he just didn't care about it. All Bickslow seemed to actually care about was just how comfortable and nice it was. She was warm, he was permanently cold. And there was something wonderful about falling asleep while holding someone and waking up in the exact same position.

So when Bickslow found himself waking up from his nap again in the dark apartment with the sun having finally set, he moved as little as possible to avoid disturbing Lucy and possibly waking her up. He failed though, of course – or so he assumed – and as soon as he stretched his arm beneath the pillow, the blonde tucked in against him with her head beneath his chin shifted a little and made the cutest waking up noises he'd ever heard.

"Stop moving," she murmured.

"My arm was dead," Bickslow mumbled back. "Didn't mean to wake you though."

"Wasn't sleeping." She just hadn't wanted to get up. She'd been too warm and comfy to consider getting up to find food. Food could wait, because cuddles came first. Cuddles were her cure, apparently. "Just not moving."

He seemed to enjoy the fact that Lucy was more than content like that just a little too much. The _jealous_ part of him that existed within for some stupid reason couldn't help but wonder if Lucy ever cuddled with Laxus like that – Bickslow strangely hoped she hadn't. He wanted to be just a little special.

But on the other hand, Bickslow was sure the situation they presently found themselves in together was not one Laxus had when he'd been dating Lucy. Because aside from Lucy supposedly not even being able to have children, Bickslow was convinced Laxus would have completely flipped if there'd been so much as a _chance_ that Lucy could've been pregnant. Bickslow couldn't help be a little glad he hadn't actually run into Laxus at all since the previous morning, too. He probably would've said something stupid or made the guy wonder just what was going on with him again.

Still, now that Bickslow had for some silly reason started thinking about Laxus again, he only found himself wondering if Laxus even knew Lucy couldn't have children. He doubted it, especially if all of it had begun when he thought it had. Of course, Bickslow could still accept the fact that the only reason he knew was because he hadn't given Lucy much choice in telling him, but still, it had to mean something, right? _Probably not._ He'd forced it out of her, after all.

He was still just a little too curious about it all though, and Bickslow couldn't quite tell if it was a good thing or a very, very bad thing – he assumed the latter. But Bickslow was always one for letting his curiosity get the better of him, and he figured that at worst, Lucy would just say it was none of his business and tell him to shut up so she could sleep. And really, he was completely okay with that.

So he was only shuffling as little as possible again: stretching one arm beneath the pillow again and keeping his other around her waist, while simultaneously trying to avoid having Lucy knee him in a very unfortunate place – that, had already happened – and not touch her extraordinarily cold feet. Then it was just a matter of actually speaking, and of course, he did so as quietly and awkwardly as he could. "Can I uh… Can I ask you something?"

And it really didn't require much brain power for Lucy know what Bickslow wanted to ask. Or at least, she knew what it would be about. And really? She didn't care. She was too comfortable and warm to care. So she only sighed into the chest she was leaning against and gave a simple _'uh-huh.'_

"Did, um… Did Laxus know?" he asked. "You know, about the… thing."

"You mean the thing where I can't get pregnant?" she asked back, just a little amused by Bickslow's avoidance of it.

"Uh, yeah. That's the one." He'd really just been trying to be nice about it.

Lucy let out another quiet sigh and shuffled up so she was facing Bickslow with her head completely on the pillow again. "No. Laxus didn't know," she answered quietly. "No one did."

"How come?"

She shrugged. "There was no point in telling him or anyone else. He didn't need to know."

Bickslow nodded. He got it. It wasn't like it was anyone else's business other than Lucy's, and no one else really had needed to know other than whoever she ended up with down the track when marriage and kids and all that became a real possibility. But Lucy hadn't been there – still wasn't, either – so it had been her secret and hers alone.

Until him. He was the exception. Yet suddenly, Bickslow wasn't feeling all that special.

But if Laxus didn't know, and it really did go back to when Bickslow thought it did, then it meant that Lucy must've still been dating Laxus. And since so far, Lucy seemed to be okay with talking about it, he pressed on. "When did you, uh, find out?" he asked then.

"Around the start of the year," she answered. "I think… I think it was at the end of January."

 _So she was still with Laxus. And if it was at the end of January…_ It must have something to do with that time he'd found her walking out of the same doctor's office they'd been at that same morning in tears. It just had to be then.

He shifted again and quickly thought about how he'd word his next question as he looked back to her face that was just inches away from his own. He was almost glad she'd closed her eyes again. "Do you remember that time I saw you that morning?" he began, only to get an odd look from Lucy as she opened her eyes again. Licking his suddenly too dry lips, he continued, "And you were, uh, crying. After you'd walked out of that doctor's office."

Lucy remembered it. She remembered it well, even if she couldn't remember the exact date since she'd spent almost the entirety of January going in and out for various tests. But that day, the one where Bickslow had in fact found her right as she'd left one particular morning, she could remember. She was just surprised Bickslow could. "You remember that?" she whispered.

"'Course I do." Aside from the fact he remembered that entire morning just a little too well because he'd been pissed off at Laxus, he mostly remembered it because he'd been worried about Lucy. He just hadn't thought much of it until the previous night, because Lucy had seemingly gotten over whatever it was that had had her so upset by the next time he'd seen her. Except now Bickslow could see why it had probably seemed that way. "But that was when you found out you can't have kids, wasn't it? That was the bad news."

"Yeah, it was."

So that was why she hadn't wanted to talk about it when he'd asked her if she'd wanted to. That was why she'd made him promise not to tell Laxus about seeing her that morning. That was why she'd looked like she'd really fucking needed a hug – and it was why he had, of course, given her the one she had really needed.

All the way back then.

But at the very least, Bickslow found some kind of solace in the fact that he'd been able to cheer her up a little bit back then, right when she'd needed it the most it seemed.

"How do you even remember that anyway?" Lucy asked with a quiet sniffle. "It was so long ago."

The corner of his mouth pulled up into a slight smirk. "Do you really wanna know?"

"Uh… Maybe? Actually, yes. Tell me. Please."

"I count how many days I can go without calling Laxus a cunt."

She was sure she would've laughed if her throat and lungs would allow it, so a smile had to do, just because it was not the answer she'd been expecting in the slightest. "You count the days?" she repeated to get a nod from the Seith mage. "For some reason I want to know what the record is, but on the other hand, I'm more interested in what you're at now."

"Ah, well, the record is ninety-nine, I think."

"Oh, so close!"

"That was actually the same day you… _you know_ , I believe." Clearing his throat, he continued, "And I think it's at nearly forty days now. Not too sure."

"Does Laxus know it's a bit of a game to you?"

"Probably, but I don't really care if he does. But, uh, I remember that morning because I also happened to call Laxus a cunt that morning."

"Uh-huh. What did he do to deserve it that time?" she asked.

"He was giving me shit for not bothering with getting someone's name when I sleep with them," Bickslow mumbled. And really, he knew it wasn't exactly the most charming thing to do – but hey, he was also no Prince Charming. It was really a mix of not bothering getting their name in the first place or just not remembering it in the morning if he was hungover. "And, uh, I was just kind of in a really shitty mood and I kind of hated Laxus back then because…" _Because I was being a jealous asshole? Yeah. Tell her that. Moron._ He shook his head to continue, " _Why_ is not important. But, basically, he was being an asshole, I was hungover, I asked him how he had a girlfriend because he's a cunt and like, really, I'm still trying to figure out just why the fuck you wanted to date him in the first place."

Even Freed had told Laxus not to aggravate him, but what did Laxus do? He aggravated him. It was his own fault he got called a cunt. Every time.

Lucy rolled her eyes. She would ignore the last comment, just because not even she knew why she'd wanted to date Laxus so much. She should've just left it with their first date and not given him another one. Their six weeks of dating had been kind of horrible.

But still, Lucy had wondered what Laxus had done that morning. They'd spent the night before in a hotel since she'd been getting some minor renovations done on her apartment (thanks to her team's destructive nature, of course), but she'd had to go see her doctor for the last of her results first thing in the morning. So while she'd been getting some of the worst news of her life – and without an actual explanation, no less, because apparently she was just one of the ones who were stuck with basically unexplainable infertility – Laxus had gone home to tease his best friend. It was strangely nice to know… in a really, really weird way.

"And let me guess," Lucy began. "You just happened to have someone over that night and Laxus just happened to see them leave or something and so that's why he was teasing you about not knowing their names?"

"Precisely."

"And did you actually remember that person's name?" She couldn't miss _her_ opportunity to tease him.

"I did, thank you very much," he mumbled. Well, sort of. It had been close to a year earlier, but he still remembered too well. "Her name was— _shit_."

She raised an eyebrow at him before she found herself turning away and coughing into her arm – that was what she got for laughing. "I doubt that was her name," she croaked.

"No, it wasn't," Bickslow quickly said. All traces of his own amusement were long gone. He'd only just put it all together. Scarlett's mother's name was supposedly _Katie_ , and Bickslow could most definitely remember saying something about how her name was _Kate_ – or something along those lines – to Laxus when he'd been a jerk about it all. And strangely, Bickslow had never thought much about just when he would have met his daughter's mother and when it all would have happened, because he'd just never really thought he had a reason to care. Her mother was gone, and he didn't give a damn about just where she was or have any interest in seeing her.

But it seemed all too perfect for that particular woman who had been nothing more than a way for him to get his mind off his best friend somehow turning him into a jealous asshole, to be Scarlett's mother. The timing made sense, didn't it? Just… in a really fucking horrible way it turns out. "That's kind of fucked up," he whispered, grimacing as he found himself staring just past Lucy.

"What is?"

"I, uh…" He cleared his throat. "I think it was Katie. You know, Scout's mum."

"O-Oh. Wow…" she murmured. _That's just a little fucked up._ But she could see the humour in it, too. "So, basically," she began, not doing much to stop herself from smiling. "While I'm finding out that I can't have kids, you're making a baby with someone you don't even know."

"Hey, it was an accident," he pointed out, cringing. "But, yeah, basically. And now here I am not even a year later, maybe having knocked you up, too. Ah, my parents would be so proud of me."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "You didn't," she insisted. Like, Bickslow really couldn't have. It wasn't just a case where she had a really, really low chance of ever conceiving – she literally had _zero_ chance. And strangely, it wasn't because anything was wrong. She just couldn't have children. That was what three different doctors had told her, but none of them had actually been able to tell her why, other than that there was something _blocking_ her from ever being able to do so. But only one had been able to tell her it was most likely a magical interference of sorts, whatever the hell that meant – her 'specialist' in Magnolia happened to somehow specialise in mage health issues, and apparently, mages came with their own list of special problems, including infertility (or so he'd said). Lucy wouldn't put it past someone to put some kind of _curse_ on her for payback or something though, so who knows, maybe it was some kind of magic deciding to make her uterus the most hostile place to ever exist or something.

But whatever the case may actually be, she still could not be pregnant. Nope. Never. Not happening.

"Might've." Of course, Bickslow was really hoping he hadn't, but just in case by some kind of _miracle_ or something she was, he figured it was better to not be completely surprised by it. "But, you know it'd be pretty fucking funny if you were though, right?" he said. "Well, not really. But kind of."

"How so?"

"'Cause, you know, supposed to get married and have a kid anyway." But Bickslow wasn't supposed to be talking about that. _Right_. It was pretty funny though. At least to him. He could only imagine going back to see his parents at some point if Lucy actually was pregnant, just introducing them like, _'Hi, this is Lucy. She was the one you tried to make me marry, but I ended up knocking her up anyway because life is fucking strange like that.'_ That was sure to go down well.

But of course, Lucy didn't look so impressed anymore, and he figured it really did have something to do with how he'd promised not to talk about that since the last time he'd been stupid enough to bring it up, Lucy had started crying for some reason. Except now, Bickslow was pretty sure he knew why she'd cried then too. And all he could do was turn his head to bury his face in the pillow and groan. "I'm such an idiot," he mumbled. "I'm so sorry."

Lucy was sure she shouldn't find whatever was going on amusing, but she did. "Are you always this weird when you're sick?" she laughed as gently as she could, sliding her hand up so she could try and turn Bickslow away from the pillow and stop having him smother his face in it. "What is it now?"

"I'm an idiot."

"Yes, so you've said."

He sighed into the pillow before looking back to her. "That time I was going on about how we would've been married for like, eleven years now or something stupid like that." And he still seemed to have a hard time wrapping his head around that, because eleven years was a long time and so many unimaginable things could've happened in that time. "And I kept rambling and asked how many kids you thought we would've had… And I'm just… I'm sorry for that. I never meant to upset you then. I really wouldn't have kept talking about it if I knew _why_ it made you so upset."

"It's fine," she shrugged. "I know you wouldn't have. I never blamed you for it. You just… kind of caught me off guard with it, I suppose, and I'd never really thought about all of that until then and I guess I just worried about it for some reason?" Lucy had no clue if it would've been different if she'd ended up marrying Bickslow – or anyone else for that matter. Maybe she'd have been able to have kids then, even if it was really just a few years earlier for her, or maybe she was just destined to be the last Heartfilia that ever existed. She'd strangely wondered just what their families would've thought if it turned out she hadn't been able to have children then, either.

But even then, it wasn't like that was the only reason she'd been upset then. It was mostly just because talking about something she knew she couldn't ever have was just not on her list of favourite things to do. Especially when she still had her moments where she wished things were slightly different.

With her own quiet sigh, she shook her head. "Doesn't matter now anyway," Lucy continued. "And, as much as I _love_ talking about this right now, I'd much rather be getting some more sleep, so if you don't mind…" Sleep seemed more important than struggling to get out of bed and find food. She'd eat later.

"Right. Okay," he mumbled. "Yeah. Get some more sleep." Bickslow thought it was a better idea too, and now that he'd had _most_ of his questions answered, he was sure he would actually be able to block out the rest of what was still bouncing around in his head to actually get some rest.

In his own weird way though, Bickslow was glad Lucy had told him, even if it was just a little bit, because they were things that only he knew. They were his secrets now, and he was very good at keeping secrets. But still, it was kind of nice to know that Lucy was comfortable enough with him to talk about it.

Unfortunately though, sleep didn't come very easy for either of them. Lucy wanted to sleep, but with Bickslow groaning and nearly whimpering every seemingly five seconds, she was most definitely not getting any rest. But it wasn't like she could do anything about it. She'd let him stay and that just meant putting up with him, sickness and all. And considering he was still insisting it was her fault he was sick anyway, it was, as he had put it, her responsibility to cuddle him and give him lots of loves and attention. So she put up with it.

But when Bickslow started feeling so sick that he was sure he couldn't actually ignore it anymore and just sleep for the next few days, he could only grimace and groan into the pillow again. "I _really_ don't feel well…" he mumbled.

"If you're going to throw up, do it in the bathroom."

"Not gonna throw up," Bickslow replied. "…Maybe." He hoped not. _Maybe if I just think about something else it'll go away… Puppies! Puppies are nice to think about. I should get a puppy. One that can sit in my pocket when it's little and bite Laxus! Or maybe a kitten… Kittens are cute too… Oh! Ducklings are super cute too! Ducklings are—_ "Never mind."

Lucy wondering just what it was that had been going through Bickslow's head just before (he'd been smiling and grimacing at the same time and it had been weird) suddenly stopped when Bickslow sat up quickly and went for the edge of the bed. "Don't you dare—" Except Lucy didn't get a chance to tell Bickslow to get away from her before he stopped trying to quickly climb over her to get out of bed, for he merely stayed there, leaning across her and over the edge of the bed with his hand over his mouth, and then threw up on her floor

He really hadn't meant to do it. He just hadn't had enough time to get over Lucy, climb out of bed, and get over to the bathroom on the opposite side of the room. The floor was closer.

And so then Lucy just laid there beneath Bickslow because she had no chance of moving with him on top of her anyway, and stared up at her ceiling. "Did you just puke on my rug?" she asked after a moment. She wasn't cleaning it up, that was for sure. Bickslow could do that – and then the rug could go anyway.

Bickslow only grimaced and gave a small nod. "…Uh-huh."

* * *

It was at some point the next afternoon that Bickslow felt Lucy separating herself from him again, and that just wasn't allowed. She was too warm for him to let go of, and it most definitely didn't help that his fever had finally disappeared for the most part and he wasn't feeling like he was sitting on the sun itself, so he was back to being permanently cold again. So when Lucy went to sit up, Bickslow was only wrapping his arm back around her waist and pulling her back down to him.

"Nope. No leaving," he murmured against the back of her neck. "Too warm."

Lucy rolled her eyes and pushed his arm away. "But I need to go and have a shower or something," she protested. Really, she did, though. The last time she'd had a shower was the previous morning, and she'd still had a fever and she was beginning to get a little uncomfortable. Plus, she was hoping the steam would help clear her head and her nose. That was always nice. "I'm all gross and sweaty."

"Mm. I know. Don't care, though."

"Ugh, that's disgusting," she scoffed. She could deal with spending almost all day and all night doing basically nothing but snuggling and watching stupid movies (that thankfully, Bickslow had not chosen), but she could not deal with _that_. She just wanted a little time to herself. _Maybe a bath is a better idea…_ So she pushed him away once again and was pulling herself out of bed and away from the Seith mage as quickly as she could, leaving him to whine and act like the child he really was. "I'm going to take a bath, and you can just lie here and complain all you want, because I won't be listening."

He grumbled into the pillow as Lucy left him and he curled into himself under the blankets that were now all his – unfortunately. _Stupid Lucy and her stupid bath._ Cuddles were so much more important than taking a bath. How dare Lucy leave him alone with no one to cuddle with! That was just rude.

It wasn't long before he was kicking back the mountain of blankets he'd been hiding under and pulling himself out of the warm and comfortable bed, all because a bath weirdly seemed like a really fucking great idea. He wasn't a bath person in the slightest – he didn't even think he'd actually used the bath in his own bathroom since he'd been living in the house by himself – but when there was a naked Lucy involved, what wasn't to love? Besides, he really just wanted to cuddle her some more, which was something he was still not bothering to think about just because it was still a little weird, but cuddling was super nice, and he was enjoying just being near her more than he probably should.

When he entered the bathroom, Lucy's eyes flashed almost murderously at him. "Do you mind?" Was it too much to ask for just half an hour of peace? Apparently. Bickslow was as bad as Natsu, it seemed. No one seemed to have any consideration or respect for her privacy.

But Bickslow of course ignored it, and for a second, he merely just stood there and stared at her. _She is an actual goddess._ No one should look that good when sick. Then only mentally shaking his head as he found himself wondering if he should actually be bowing down to the deity in front of him, Bickslow frowned. "This isn't going to work."

She raised an eyebrow at the Seith mage as she crossed her arms over herself. She had to at least try, right? "What on Earthland are you talking about?" Lucy asked.

The tub. The tub was what Bickslow was talking about. It was too small. Well, for him, at least. Even Lucy looked just a little cramped in her stone bath – or at the very least she wasn't able to stretch out, so if she couldn't, he most definitely wouldn't be able to. So, the tub wasn't going to work.

Luckily though, his own head was clear enough that he was able to come up with some kind of idea, and he'd been meaning to go home anyway. So he just looked back to her in the tub and tried not to pay too much attention to the fact that she wasn't wearing any clothes – Bickslow was already sure he was going to have to think of the most horrifying thing his brain could muster just because he was already half hard, which was something he found annoying of all things right then – and actually shook his head that time. "Come on," he said, much to the confusion of Lucy, of course. "Get up."

"What? Why?"

"Because."

"Bickslow, no." She didn't have the energy to deal with whatever was happening right then. She just wanted to have a bath in peace for once. "I'm warm and I don't want to get up."

That just wouldn't do. So Bickslow only stepped forward and kneeled by the edge of the bath, just to push his sleeve up and reach down between her ankles and pull the plug and let the water drain from the bath. He was sure he nearly melted the skin off his arm, and Lucy shrieking and kicking his elbow had almost hurt, but it was all for a good cause. And when Lucy just continued to yell at him and ask him just what the hell he was doing, Bickslow just ignored it for the most part and threw a towel at her before spying a bottle of eucalyptus oil on the counter and picking it up. That was most definitely going with him. He could already smell it in the room, and with the steam it was already clearing his sinuses and his head and Bickslow was realising that was a wonderful thing. He was so sick of having a blocked nose.

When Lucy made it out of the bathroom, just a towel wrapped around her still – something that made Bickslow momentarily forget how to talk and he wasn't quite sure why, because it was just a towel and there were sexier things that existed, like her Halloween costumes – as she once again asked the Seith mage what he was playing at, Bickslow only told her to get dressed because they had someplace else to be. And of course, Lucy's curiosity got the better of her so she just went along with it for some strange reason.

But then when she was stepping down from the platform made from Bickslow's babies and onto the deck at the back of his house, having ended up taking a short trip through the air without so much as a hint to where they'd been going, Lucy really couldn't help but turn back to Bickslow and hope that he would finally just explain what he was planning to do. "Alright, please, please, _please_ tell me just why we're here right now," she almost begged as they made it into the lounge room.

Sneezing first apparently as he stepped in front of her to make his way towards his bathroom, Bickslow did decide to finally let Lucy know just what his master plan was. "Your bath is too small."

Lucy was annoyed enough as it was that he'd ruined her bath (and she was just a little mad at herself for actually _letting_ Bickslow ruin it, too), but now Bickslow was actually somehow _insulting_ her bath? Just what the hell was actually going on there? Really, Lucy wanted to know. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she wondered aloud.

"It means your bath is too small. Whereas mine"—he pushed the bathroom door in the hall open—"is not." And strangely, that was because of Laxus. He'd gotten that bathroom remodelled a year after they'd moved in because he'd complained about the bath in the original one being too small, and that just wasn't good enough. The guy really fucking loved baths, apparently. It wasn't something Bickslow had ever really understood, but right then it seemed to be some kind of blessing.

The blonde only arched an eyebrow as she looked between the large oval tub between the tall cabinets that he was obviously referring to, and Bickslow himself. "You mean you dragged me out of my already nice, _warm_ , relaxing bath, and out into the cold, just to point out that you have a larger bathroom?"

"Basically."

"This is ridiculous, Bickslow."

"A little," he agreed, shrugging. " _But_ … It was mostly just because I wanted to actually get in the bath _with_ you, and yours is just too small for me to do that. Have you seen how fucking tall I am?"

How tall Bickslow was wasn't something Lucy needed to be reminded of. It was just a little hard to forget that she only went up to the tops of his _shoulders_ for heaven's sake. It was almost annoying, though it wasn't like it had proved to be much of a problem so far… Not that Lucy was sure why it would or could ever be a problem. She was allowed to have tall friends.

…Ones that she just happened to enjoy kissing and apparently take baths with, too, it seemed.

That was totally fine. It was probably a little weird, but really, Lucy just didn't care anymore. If there even were boundaries there that they probably shouldn't cross – and she figured there were plenty – Lucy was just ignoring them. She couldn't even find a reason to care about them, and considering the circumstances, Lucy didn't even think she should. Especially not if Bickslow was ignoring all the boundaries, too.

Besides, she was really cold and she'd really wanted to take a bath – before someone had _ruined_ it, that is. And it wasn't like she hadn't just spent the last twenty-four hours being curled up with him under multiple blankets. A bath was fine. Sort of.

So she was only rolling her eyes before reaching into the inside pocket of Bickslow's coat – an act that surprised him more than it did her – to pull out the eucalyptus oil she knew he'd taken to take it over to the tub. "Jesus, why couldn't you have just said you wanted to take a bath with me in the first place, instead of being a total dork about it?" she muttered.

He shrugged again and the corner of his mouth curled up into a smirk. "Baby I'm a dork by nature."

Lucy wouldn't even argue it.

Once the bath was full and there was the appropriate amount of bubbles nearly spilling over the lip of the tub, Lucy first sat down at one end and brought her knees up to her chest before Bickslow stepped in after her to sit at the other end. She couldn't help but giggle when he quickly pulled his foot back out and hissed in pain. "A little bit too hot for you?" she teased.

Hot? It was more like scalding. " _No_ ," he muttered, then was swinging his leg back over to step back into the bubble bath and wincing as he slowly lowered himself down into the painfully hot water. "But Jesus, Cosplayer… Has hanging around Natsu for all these years somehow fucking singed all your nerves or something and made you immune to heat or some fucking shit?"

"I'm not immune to heat, you idiot," Lucy said, flicking soapy water at him with her hand. "Besides, don't you claim to be permanently cold anyway? You should be enjoying this." He'd only mentioned it once before – when he'd hugged her the first time at the start of the year when she'd been upset after finding out she couldn't have kids for some weird reason – but she'd remembered it.

And the fact that Lucy remembered that almost surprised Bickslow. So he shrugged as he slid down further into the tub until his shoulders were almost completely submerged and his feet were on either side of the blonde; his current state of arousal had him thankful that Lucy had supposedly 'slipped' with the bubble bath. "I never said I wasn't enjoying this," he responded with a devious smirk planted on his lips. Because really, he was enjoying it just a little too much. Even if the water was just a little too warm.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Why is that anyway?" she asked.

"Uh, because I get to see you naked and that's always a win?"

"I don't mean that," she sighed. She'd already figured that was why Bickslow was supposedly enjoying their weird bath. It was weirdly flattering, too. "I mean, why are you always cold?"

"Oh." Bickslow shrugged again before answering, "Because Astrantia doesn't really get cold, and I guess I just haven't been able to adjust to it. Been here for like, nearly six years now anyway, but I'm still a little bitch when it comes to anything below twenty-five." And that was pushing it, really, but that was the equivalent of the winter he'd grown up in. Being where it was, it meant he was used to some _very_ warm summers – ones that lasted most of year.

"Astrantia. That's where you're from, isn't it?"

Bickslow nodded. "Yeah. It's this, uh, port town, I suppose, right up at the top of Fiore. And no, before you ask, my family don't have anything to do with the actual port. _Just_ the trains," he smirked. Hell, the train station there had only been built _after_ the Redfarrows had moved their company there long before he'd even been born. The port had been there before trains had even been a thing, anyway. "But, basically, winter is non-existent there. I'd always just assumed it was because it's close to Alakitasia, but really, I've got no fucking clue why it's so hot there. It's mostly humid, though, especially around Christmas and the beginning of the year. Doesn't snow there, either. But it rains a fuck ton after the new year." He shrugged again. "Astrantia's pretty though, so I guess that makes up for the heat."

Lucy hummed as she dropped her chin to rest on her folded arms over her knees. "I've never been. I never travelled much with Father when I was younger…" Not to places like Astrantia, anyway. It was rare for her to stray far from Acalypha. "Did you?"

"Not much. We'd go to Bosco once a year or so – got this wicked villa there by this lake that I almost drowned in once, I think. But I mostly tried getting out of going anywhere because it was always related to the company. Didn't really care about it and Dad knew it so he let me stay in Astrantia."

"I met him once, you know."

"Who? My dad?"

She nodded. "When I was fourteen," Lucy answered. "I think he came to discuss the whole partnership. You know, when our parents were still trying to have us get married and all."

Bickslow just stared at her for a second. For starters, he was just a little surprised that Lucy was actually bringing up the subject of their supposed intertwined pasts on her own. But then it was because she had met his father, and it was just another one of the things from his past that he'd never thought about because he'd never had a reason to.

But now he was, because he could remember his father going to meet his so-called future business partner, and he could remember telling his father that he'd go the next time to meet his bride-to-be – except there hadn't been a next time, because it was only a few months after that that Bickslow had enough and he'd left. _Probably would've changed my mind on leaving if I'd gone with him the first time round, too…_ But Bickslow could most definitely not tell Lucy that. Oh no.

Instead, he only murmured, "Small world…"

It wasn't long after that that Bickslow found his thoughts drifting back to a certain uncomfortable topic again, right after he'd told Lucy about Laxus' secret fondness for baths and how she would most definitely not cope with the heat in Astrantia – not even if she had Gray by her side. And Bickslow almost wanted to be able to ignore it, but he couldn't, just like how he hadn't been able to the previous night. But at the very least, Lucy had talked to him then…

So maybe, she'd talk to him now, too.

He cleared his throat first as he quickly thought about just how he could use his words effectively. " _Hypothetical_ situation…" he began cautiously after a moment's pause again. Just the emphasis alone was enough to have Lucy pulling her knees a little closer to her chest. "If you are— _were_ pregnant… What would you want to do?"

"I don't really know, to be honest," she whispered.

If she was, she would first and foremost cry a lot, and probably curl up in a ball on her bed and cry some more because she'd be terrified for one. But once she'd have stopped freaking out and having some kind of panic attack, Lucy probably would try and figure out what the _right_ thing to do was. And that was what Lucy found herself thinking about right then, too, because now that Bickslow had asked her, she couldn't help but be a little worried that she really might end up curling up in a ball and crying and wondering just what to do anyway.

On one hand, it would be completely ridiculous for her to actually keep a child if it turned out she was pregnant. She wasn't ready to be a mother in the slightest, and she doubted she would be in nine months, either. That wasn't even taking _Bickslow_ into consideration, anyway. He already had a child he hadn't exactly wanted, so it would most definitely not be fair to have him worrying about another child when he was still trying to figure out how to look after the one he already had. Having a kid would just fuck everything up.

But on the other hand, maybe it would be her only chance to have a family that was actually her own. She'd always wanted to have children – a daughter, specifically – because she'd always wanted to be able to teach them all about Celestial magic and the spirits just like her own mother had before she'd passed away. But even if she'd accepted that she wouldn't ever get to have her own child, even when she was older and ready for that, it didn't mean she liked it. Because she hated it almost.

Still, if she was by some miraculous chance actually pregnant, maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if she kept the baby. She'd just figure things out as she went, just like Bickslow was doing with Scarlett, because surely if he could figure out how to be a parent, she could, too. She wouldn't even expect Bickslow to help or anything. That wouldn't be all that fair for her to expect anything from him, because he had enough to deal with like the daughter he already had. But she'd be able to do it on her own, surely. If _he_ could, she could.

But none of it mattered anyway, because she wasn't pregnant. Couldn't be, because she had that stupid, unknown _magic_ fucking with her body and making it so. Lucy had absolutely nothing to worry or think about.

Bickslow could only watch her sulk and try and curl in on herself for a few moments. Anything longer than that was just impossible, because he knew what Lucy was thinking about and why she was like that. Well, sort of. He wasn't capable of reading her thoughts, but Bickslow most definitely knew she was upset, even if her quietness was the only hint. So with a sigh, Bickslow was only quickly leaning forward and sending his hands back below the surface of the water to grab her feet and slide her back towards him. "Alright, come here."

Lucy didn't get a chance to protest as she was seemingly effortlessly picked up after, and a giggle that surprised her slipped past her lips as a blush crept onto her cheeks when she found herself on Bickslow's chest and lying between his legs.

"Hug time." Because Lucy looked like she needed a hug again and Bickslow was always willing to give her one. Plus, she was naked which was great in itself, and strangely, Bickslow wasn't actually interested in having sex with her. He didn't have the energy to begin with, but cuddles were more important anyway, and he wasn't interested in saying no to _naked_ cuddles.

And if it was hug time, Lucy couldn't complain. She really liked hug time, even if his dick was pressed against her hip. But that, she wasn't even going to think about dealing with. Bickslow would survive. Instead though, she only smiled softly to herself and laid her head on the Seith mage's shoulder to make herself comfortable again.

"It'd be okay if you wanted to keep it," Bickslow said softly after a minute, and he could feel her tense beneath his fingertips as soon as the words had left his mouth. But, he'd needed to say it; there was a lot he needed and _wanted_ to say. Looking down at her when she lifted her head, he continued just as gently, "You know, if you _were_ knocked up. _Hypothetically._ But if that was what you wanted to do, that'd be okay."

"It… It would?" she whispered again. Because in the brief moments she'd actually thought about what she would do if she really was pregnant, she was realising that keeping the baby is what she'd actually want to do. And it was somehow nice knowing that it would be okay.

"'Course it would be. Well, apart from the whole Laxus most likely wanting to kill me thing. But, if you were somehow pregnant, and you did want to keep it, that'd be fine. I'd totally help, too. If you wanted me to, that is."

She hesitated before mumbling, "You wouldn't have to…" But it was all hypothetical, so they could talk about it. She hadn't even wanted to think about talking to Bickslow about any of it just two days before, but now she wasn't so against it.

"But I'd _want_ to," he insisted. "I mean, I'd at least like _one_ of my kids to have two parents."

Lucy shook her head and let out an irritated sigh. "That is a _horrible_ joke."

"It's kind of true though," he chuckled. "But, bad jokes aside," Bickslow continued a little more seriously, because it was a very serious matter. Sort of. "I really would help you if you were. And I'd be there for you, too, because really, like you'd be able to keep me away from my own kid. But, only if you wanted me to, I mean. Because if you didn't want me to have anything to do with them, then I'd get it, and I'd just, uh… try and keep my distance, I suppose. "

"Even though you already have Scarlett?"

"Even though I already have Scarlett," he repeated softly. "I wouldn't make you do it on your own. I'm not _that_ much of an asshole." Besides, if he had to get anyone who he wasn't actually with knocked up, Lucy would probably be the best choice – as weird as it was. She wasn't anywhere near the worst person to have a kid with.

"But you mean you'd…" Lucy chewed on the inside of her cheek for a second as she avoiding look at him again; she was too embarrassed as it was because part of her couldn't even believe they were having that conversation – hypothetical or not. "You'd actually want to be a part of their life and all that? You know, _hypothetically_."

"Well, duh. For one, it'd be a reason to have you put up with me for a _super_ long time, and I'm not going to get sick of annoying the hell out of you anytime soon."

"Of course you're not…"

"And two, I—" It quickly dawned on him that he'd been about to say that it was because he loved her. And he did. Really. He'd told her that a few times, too. It was just that right then, it didn't quite seem like a good idea, especially considering the circumstances. "I care about you," Bickslow quickly said instead, and it was mostly without thinking that he turned to kiss her cheek. "A lot. Because you're one of my best friends and I like seeing you happy and okay."

But then Lucy started laughing, much to Bickslow's surprise, and then she was pulling her hand back from his opposite shoulder and shoving his face away from her. "Ew, don't kiss me. You're all germy. That's gross."

"All germy, huh? But what if I _want_ to kiss you?"

She shook her head and made a weak attempt of hiding her blush and smile against the top of the shoulder she was leaning on.

And of course, Bickslow just couldn't help himself. So he kissed her again on her temple that time. "Take my germs. Take _all_ my germs." Lucy was the one who'd gotten him sick anyway (well, probably), so _he_ didn't care about germs in the slightest. Plus, he did really just want to kiss her, and Lucy giggling as he worked his way down her face to her lips made it so much nicer. She wasn't as disgusted by his sickness as much as she claimed to be.

She tried to make it seem that she really was disgusted though, so she was pulling away suddenly before she got too into it and settling herself again against the side of the tub again. "Okay, stop, please," she giggled. "It really is kind of disgusting." Sort of.

"Aw, but who am I gonna be disgusting with if I can't be disgusting with you?" Bickslow pouted.

Lucy only shook her head again before grabbing one of his wrists and placing his hand back where it had been before on the small of her back. "Do that thing again," she mumbled.

"You mean this?" Bickslow asked as the corner of his mouth pulled up into a slight smirk and as he gently began sliding his hand up and down her back again, from her hip and up to where his thumb grazed the side of her breast.

"Mm. That. It feels nice." And it almost tickled when he used his fingertips instead and his nails got involved, but it still felt nice. Especially when it kept her shoulder warm when he brushed the water up slightly.

So then it was just peaceful for a little while, where Lucy tried really hard not to think about how she could get _really_ used to how she felt around and with the Seith mage – which was really fucking great, as it turns out – and where said Seith mage just continued absentmindedly caressing her back. Because peaceful was really nice, and Bickslow was sure as hell thankful he'd gotten sick, even if he was missing his daughter a lot after barely twenty-four hours.

But Scarlett was in perfectly capable hands. He knew it. So he had nothing to worry about at all, and that meant he was just free to continue thinking about hypothetical situations. He was probably enjoying that just a little too much, and with how open (sort of) Lucy had already been with talking to him about the entire fucked up situation they were kind of in, Bickslow liked to think she'd be fine with some more hypothetical questions.

"Okay, so," he began, and Lucy turned her head on his shoulder to look up at him again. "If we ever did have a kid – hypothetically, of course… Do you think it'd be a girl or a boy?"

She pursed her lips and quickly wondered if they were getting on the train to Weirdville. _Who even cares if we are?_ Weird was fine now. She didn't care about weird in the slightest. Humming in thought first, she said, "Girl. Heartfilias are always girls. What do you think?"

"Girl, most definitely then," he agreed. "Redfarrows will be all girls this generation too."

"How is that even possible?"

"Wouldn't have a fucking clue. But it's been all boys then all girls for the last few generations, and so far it seems to be following suit. Besides, Heartfilias always being girls is just as weird."

"Fair enough, I suppose…" she mumbled before asking her own hypothetical question. "Alright, so if we _had_ been married and had a child together then, would they be a Heartfilia, Redfarrow, Redfarrow- _Theroux_ , or all three?"

"Well, I would've dropped Theroux if I'd stayed to take over the company and all, since it was always _just_ to do with the Redfarrows and they never really wanted any other names to be branded with it," he explained. His brother had dropped the last part of his surname, though Bickslow couldn't remember if it was actually official or not. Bickslow himself had just seen no point to do so though, so he'd kept it. He'd still never really gone by his full name anyway. "But, since us getting married was supposed to be our families' companies becoming like a conglomerate, I guess, then our kid would have to have both of our names. So, either Redfarrow-Heartfilia or Heartfilia-Redfarrow."

"Heartfilia-Redfarrow."

"Redfarrow-Heartfilia.'

"Um, no," Lucy argued. "For starters, Heartfilia-Redfarrow sounds so much better than Redfarrow-Heartfilia."

"Does not."

"It does so." Really, it did. At least, that was what Lucy thought. "And anyway, one would assume that I'd have to take your name too if we got married, and if I became a Heartfilia-Redfarrow, where would the sense be in our kids being Redfarrow-Heartfilias? It would be more logical for our children to have the name that took on to save the confusion."

Bickslow sighed in defeat. Heartfilia-Redfarrow it was, apparently. "Fine. How about… magic? Think they'd be a mage?"

"Probably. Is Seith magic mostly genetic?" she asked.

"Mostly, but it usually skips generations according to Dad so it's incredibly unlikely that any kid of mine will be a Seith mage."

"Well, my magic can be learned, and with mages as both parents, I'm pretty sure our hypothetical child would have _some_ magical capability, so I'd teach them how to be a Celestial mage if they wanted me to, just like my mother did with me before she died."

"That's kinda sweet," Bickslow murmured.

"I suppose it is…"

He found himself trying to sit up a little bit and shuffling uncomfortable when he thought of what to ask next, and Bickslow didn't wait for Lucy to have her turn before he softly said, "If we were married though, and if you could, you know, actually have kids… Do you think we'd have had more than one kid?" That was something Bickslow had been thinking about far more than he should've, and he wasn't completely sure why.

They could've had more than one baby, though. He liked to think they would've, just because one child made it seem all too… forced. Like the only reason they'd exist at all was to have someone to take over the family business when they were older. And that just wasn't all that fair – Bickslow would know. But even then, maybe having kids would've made the entire thing bearable.

Lucy didn't really know how to answer that though, just like how she hadn't been able to the last time Bickslow had asked it. It was still kind of hard to even imagine something like that when she had it stuck in her head that it couldn't ever be anything higher than zero. "Maybe. I honestly don't know," she sighed as she gave a small shrug. "What about you, though? Did you even want to have kids at all? You know, before Scarlett."

"Sure I did. Just… not for a while. And not like that." Bickslow shrugged. "I mean, you know I wouldn't actually change how things are right now for anything in the world because Scout is fucking amazing. But, if it hadn't gone this way, and I'd, I dunno, gotten married or something and was with the right person or some shit, then I think two kids would be pretty awesome." Hell, he'd still probably be more than fine with having another kid somewhere down the track. But for now, he was okay with being girlfriendless, wifeless, and father of one.

Besides, he was somewhere between being disgustingly platonic with Lucy and being her awesome friend with super awesome benefits, and that was really more than great. That was pretty damn awesome.

" _Right person_ , huh?"

"Oh, shut your mouth. You know what I mean," he muttered.

"Uh-huh. It means you believe in soulmates," Lucy giggled.

He dug his fingers into her side and couldn't help but chuckle at the squeak she made as she squirmed in his hold, only spilling more water onto the floor. "Hey, soulmates exist, thank you very much. They're real. Like, really real." But Bickslow wasn't interested in going into detail about it, partly because it wasn't even something he knew all the details of to begin with.

"I never said they don't exist," she pointed out. She believed in them – sort of. She'd just been teasing Bickslow about believing in them, because it seemed a little odd that the man who was probably King of casual relationships and one-night stands actually believed in that kind of thing. It was strangely cute. "But you'd ideally want two kids?"

Bickslow nodded. "Two kids."

"Two girls then, I presume?"

"Yup." Though, he wouldn't complain if he ever ended up having a son with anyone.

Lucy sighed as she lowered her head back to his shoulder, and a soft smile formed on her lips when she realised how much she would've loved being able to have two daughters. That was almost perfect in her mind. "I think two girls sounds really nice."

* * *

After not hearing from Bickslow for nearly two days, Evergreen and Freed decided it was time to go and see how he was doing. Being Monday, they figured he'd at least be feeling a little better by then, and at that point, he'd probably be missing his daughter a lot, too, and as much as they had enjoyed looking after her, they couldn't exactly be a parent _for_ Bickslow. That was his job, and he was going to get sick again at some point anyway, and he'd probably have to push through and still do his job as a parent then.

Laxus had decided to join them on their trip to their former house that morning, too. He'd decided it would be an opportunity to tease him about something – like, how he probably looked like shit, or how he'd let dishes pile up in the sink, or maybe just call him out on how he'd been a lazy ass and stayed in bed for the whole weekend while his team looked after _his_ kid. Well, Laxus hadn't babysat. Hell no. But he had been in the general vicinity of the child when either Freed (and Mira) or Evergreen had been on _Scout Watch_ in the guild.

But regardless, even if Bickslow wasn't feeling that much better, or wasn't feeling up to the task of actually caring for Scarlett, Evergreen and Freed had only decided that they could just spend the day with him at his house. It would be a little like old times, if anything.

Freed opened the front door up once they'd arrived at the two-storey townhouse, and he was pocketing his key to hold the door open for Evergreen and Scarlett first, and closed it after Laxus had brought the half-disassembled bassinet in. "Well, it looks like Bickslow's still here," the Runes mage mused as he noticed the few dishes on the bench and in the sink. Generally speaking, though, the rest of the living room was tidy like it usually was, so Freed just assumed he'd spent most of his time actually in bed. He didn't really have that much reason to leave that part of the house, not unless he wanted to get food. "He's probably still in bed right now, though. It is still early for him…"

"Probably," Evergreen agreed. Lifting the nearly five-week-old up again and smiling at her, Evergreen only nuzzled her nose against Scarlett's cheek. "Now how about we go find your daddy and wake him up, huh? I'm sure he'd very much like being woken up by you, Scarlett."

Laxus could only roll his eyes at the baby talk and retreat to the fridge to raid it. Surely the Seith mage wouldn't mind if he stole some of his milk to make himself a coffee, one that he desperately needed because he had no idea why he was even awake that early to begin with.

And it was probably a good thing that Laxus opted to not go down the hall to find Bickslow, because Evergreen had to blink to figure out if she was actually seeing what was in front of her. Which, as it turns out, was the guild's resident Celestial Spirit mage looking just a little too cosy and comfortable beneath the covers, and all curled up with Bickslow and with her back towards the windows with the curtains that had actually been closed for a change. Bickslow looked more than comfortable himself, too, and when they shifted – Lucy curled even further into his chest, keeping her head just below his, and Bickslow stretched his arm beneath the pillow and made sure he had his legs just as tangled with hers as much as the sheets – Evergreen had to cover her mouth with her hand to stifle her giggle.

They were still fast asleep, it seemed. Evergreen didn't know it was because they'd ended up not being able to fall asleep until after three since they'd spent the better part of the weekend in the bed anyway, and that it had just been convenient to cuddle at Bickslow's instead of going back to Lucy's apartment – but it didn't matter that Evergreen didn't know that. All that mattered to the self-proclaimed Fairy Queen right then, was that it was damn fucking adorable. She wasn't even sure why it was, but she just didn't have it in her to wake the idiot up now.

Freed had the same idea too, and so he was only stepping into the room to quietly pull the door closed to leave the two sleeping mages in peace. "Maybe we should, uh…" He cleared his throat gently before continuing, "Let them rest."

Evergreen giggled quietly as she nodded. They could rest then – but as soon as Bickslow was better, she was most definitely going to ask him about Lucy. For now, though, she would just take Scarlett back to the dorms for the rest of the morning. Even with Scarlett crying literally every hour the previous night, the girls had all been too happy to try and figure out how to get her to sleep. Evergreen could only wonder how Bickslow hadn't completely lost his mind yet.

When Evergreen and Freed came back down the hall again though, Laxus raised an eyebrow at the two as he continued stirring the boiling water in his mug to dissolve the instant coffee. "Bix not here?"

"Nope… He's here," Evergreen answered knowingly. "He's asleep."

"…Weren't you just saying to the kid that you were gonna go wake him up?"

"Yes… But I didn't want to wake _Lucy_ up, too."

Laxus blinked, and his hand only hovered over the mug. "Lucy…" The name rolled off his tongue almost experimentally. He'd heard it right, hadn't he? "As in… _Blondie_ , Lucy?"

Evergreen rolled her eyes at the blond and shifted the infant to her other side. "How many Lucys do you think Bickslow is actually going to cuddle with?"

"C-Cuddle… with?" He had to be dreaming or something. There was no way Bickslow was fucking _cuddling_ Lucy right then, and in bed, no less. Bickslow wasn't stupid enough to do that.

Actually, he was. Bickslow was _more_ than stupid enough to do that. _That son of a bitch._ Laxus was just strangely having a hard time believing it. Maybe he had to _see_ it… And so forgetting about the coffee he'd been making, Laxus was quickly walking back around the counter and storming over to the hall.

"Laxus!" Freed called after him quietly before he was rushing forward to step in front of the taller man. "Do _not_ go and wake them. Lucy is sick too, you know. She needs her rest just as much as Bickslow does."

Laxus rolled his eyes that time and waved his hand dismissively. "Eh, fine. I won't wake 'em up," he mumbled. He could be quiet and just observe. Maybe. _Probably_. At the very least, he would _try_ not to wake them up – that would get Freed and Evergreen off his back for the most part. And really, Laxus did know Lucy was sick, too. He'd overheard Natsu complaining a few days earlier about how Lucy had found a way to lock him out of her apartment so she could get her rest. And even if Laxus wasn't caring so much about Bickslow right then (what was new), he still cared about Lucy because she was one of his closest friends, and he did care about her getting better.

And gently, so gently that it even surprised Evergreen as she hovered behind Laxus and tried to peek back into Bickslow's room, Laxus pushed the bedroom door back open and stared back at the bed, where he could in fact make out the unmistakable head of blonde hair that belonged to the woman still tucked in against the Seith mage.

Laxus couldn't help but feel just a little jealous all of a sudden, and he wasn't quite sure why. It wasn't like _he_ was with Lucy anymore, but it certainly wasn't as if Bickslow was with her, either. He knew Lucy had never been against cuddling – they'd sat up on the lounge once or twice when they'd been dating and snuggled while watching a movie – but Laxus had never once been like _that_ with her. Hell, he even knew Bickslow could be overly cuddly sometimes, having seen him and Evergreen curl up together on the lounge at odd hours during their movie marathons… But he'd never known the Seith mage to sleep and cuddle at the same time. But now there they both were, all curled up together like it totally wasn't weird at all.

But, it was weird as shit. Laxus didn't understand it. Were they dating or some shit now? Surely not. Lucy couldn't even like Bickslow ( _could_ _ **anyone**_ _actually like Bickslow?),_ and Bickslow sure as hell wouldn't be stupid enough to do anything with her.

But Laxus still wasn't quite sure why he was feeling so jealous. They were really good friends, after all. Lucy was closer to Bickslow than she was with him, and it had always been like that, even before Laxus had been dating her. So, maybe, Laxus didn't have a reason to care at all.

Maybe, with Bickslow knowing Lucy was sick too, he'd just decided to go annoy her for the weekend and maybe Lucy had been stupid enough to put up with the moron. And maybe, their… _snuggling_ , was just a subconscious thing. Maybe Lucy had just gotten cold and with all the layers Bickslow wore, he just happened to be a source of warmth. Of course, she still hadn't snuggled with him when they'd been dating in the middle of the winter at the beginning of the year, but he did know she was just a little used to sharing a bed with Natsu. Maybe she just really liked being warm when she was asleep.

Yeah, that was it. They were just using each other for warmth. It was totally innocent. Totally innocent, but he was still really fucking annoyed with Bickslow all of a sudden. He tried to ignore that, though.

"That's fucking weird," was all Laxus muttered under his breath before turning back around. It was really too early to be seeing that kind of shit, too, so now he had even more of a reason to go and have his morning coffee.

* * *

It was almost noon by the time Lucy and Bickslow decided to join the land of the living, and it was Lucy who did so first. She could already tell that she _finally_ starting to get better, since she didn't feel quite as dead waking up, and it was about time she started getting over her flu, anyway. Bickslow, luckily, wasn't going to be down for almost an entire week like she had been. _Damn him and his stupid immune system._

For a short moment, Lucy decided she didn't want to get up just yet. She was ridiculously warm and stupidly comfortable, and Bickslow didn't seem to want to move his arm or let go of her (again) anyway. Staying in bed just seemed like a good idea.

Well, until she became aware of just how _wet_ she felt, and in a way that was really way too familiar. She had woken up like that numerous times, but that particular time might've been the worst of them all, considering where she was.

But of course, hoping that it wasn't as bad as it seemed and that maybe the dampness between her legs was just because she'd happened to have a ridiculously sexy dream that she couldn't remember having in the slightest, Lucy pulled herself away from the seemingly still asleep Seith mage to reach out to turn on the lamp, then carefully lifted the blankets to look down at herself. And of course, with the lamp on, Lucy could see the blood that had seeped through the track pants she was wearing and no doubt onto the now not so white sheets beneath her, too.

It was official. This was the worst day of Lucy's life. She could never embarrass herself to that extent ever again. It was impossible.

But really, as the horror dawned on her and as she stared up at the ceiling in complete mortification, Lucy realised she probably should've expected it to happen. She'd been late as it was – but, not that unusual for her, and it was only ever a couple of days off at a time if she was late – so what Lucy was realising she should've done was go back to her own apartment instead of staying at Bickslow's. Because really, her own sheets she didn't really give a damn about, because it just happened sometimes. But for her to not be at home when her least favourite guest decided to visit? That was literally the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to Lucy.

It was a good thing she'd at least brought her gate keys with her so she could call Virgo, otherwise it could've been a very awkward walk home. But on the other side of things, at least she really wasn't pregnant. Part of her really had begun to worry a little bit that she somehow might've been…

Still, Lucy just didn't really know how to go about things right then. She needed to get up, that was for sure. She couldn't just lie there like she'd wanted to before. She needed to just get the horrible, embarrassing part over and done with so she could go home and hide under all the blankets she owned yet again. And go and buy a new hot water bottle, too. And chocolate. She really, really needed those – she could already tell.

 _Time to make a fool of myself, I suppose._

Rolling onto her back first, she grimaced when Bickslow's arm that had remained around her waist the entire night was pulling her back against him to make sure she couldn't go anywhere. "Haven't you learned yet?" he mumbled into the pillow. "No leaving." Leaving was bad. One could not snuggle if they had no one to snuggle with, and Bickslow still really fucking loved it, even if Lucy's feet were still ridiculously cold. Honestly, it had to be some kind of talent.

"Bickslow… I have to get up…"

"No you don't. You have no reason to get up. It's warm here. You won't be warm if you get up. Warm is nice."

She bit her lip. Why, _why_ was he being so difficult? It was making things so much worse. "No, I really do…" she insisted quietly. "Because I kind of got my period… You know, overnight… So I really need to get up. And burn your sheets."

Bickslow really couldn't help cringing then, and when he did finally open his eyes, he couldn't tell who actually seemed more uncomfortable right then. It was probably Lucy, of course. _And it just had to be as soon as put the_ _ **white**_ _sheets on the bed…_ "O-Oh… Right." Bickslow cleared his throat and finally pulled away from her. Cuddle time was over. "But… you really don't need to burn my sheets," he mumbled. Burning really wasn't necessary. He'd just soak them or something before putting them in the wash, and then they'd be good as new again and no one would be any wiser to any stains that could've previously been on it. Evergreen had come down the stairs a few mornings when she'd still been living there, sheets all bundled up in her arms, and even with three male roommates, she hadn't been shy about any of it.

And anyway, Bickslow was pretty sure he wasn't allowed to be uncomfortable about anything to do periods anymore. He had a daughter – one that would, at some point, start her period. Thankfully, that was years off. But regardless, he'd no doubt be standing in his laundry and soaking her stained sheets at some point in his life, too.

There was no need to burn the sheets.

"Well, I'll, uh… I'll still uh, deal with them myself after," she muttered. Or, well, she'd have Virgo deal with them, probably, and then go out and buy new ones. But first, she needed to go and have a shower.

Except when Lucy made no effort to move, instead only clutched at the blanket and continued looking like she would rather be anywhere else in that moment, Bickslow sighed as he sat up and only looked over his shoulder to add, "You're not actually going to move until I leave, are you?"

She shook her head. She didn't want to humiliate herself even more, thank you very much. Seeing and knowing were two very different things. She was still just glad Bickslow's pants were stain-free, considering how they'd spend the night. She was sure she would've actually died from the embarrassment if that had happened.

But Bickslow figured as much anyway, but he couldn't help but roll his eyes as he headed for the door. He'd already stopped caring. "Fine, whatever," he mumbled again. "Go do whatever it is you need to do then."

And as soon as Bickslow had made it into the hall, Lucy was almost jumping out of bed with a grimace unsurprisingly on her face, and was ducking into the bathroom through the wardrobe with her keys in hand. When _gravity_ got involved, however, Lucy could only repress her shudder. Gravity was not her friend.

Feeling somewhat civilised again after her shower and in fresh clothes – though still completely humiliated – Lucy went back into the bedroom to pull the sheets from Bickslow's bed and assess the damage. Except she couldn't pull the sheets from the bed to take care of them herself, because the sheets weren't even on the bed. It had already been stripped bare and all the pillows and the duvet had been set on the chest at the very end of it. And when she went back down the hall to find Bickslow, he didn't even bother looking up from where he sat on the lounge, seemingly entertaining the babies as they twirled around him, so she only asked, "Where are they?"

"The sheets?" He assumed that was what 'they' meant. "Soaking." He'd only waited until he knew Lucy was in the shower before he'd gone back in to grab them. He figured the sooner they were dealt with, the better.

Lucy shuffled uncomfortably on her feet. "I told you I'd deal with them…"

"Yeah? And? They're dealt with now, so that's all that matters. Don't make a big deal about it. They're just sheets."

"W-Well, I'm, um… I'm sorry," she said in a small voice. "I'll buy you new ones, too. To replace them."

Bickslow rolled his eyes as he quickly got up from the lounge. "Jesus, Lucy. Don't replace them, fuck." It was almost laughable – and Bickslow knew it shouldn't be, but it was. First she'd wanted to burn them, now she wanted to actually buy him new ones? She was making a far big a deal of it all than necessary.

Hell, if anything, Bickslow felt like he was more over it and okay with it than Lucy herself was, and he was a guy. And yeah, he got that Lucy was embarrassed by it, but it wasn't the end of the world. Wasn't he supposed to be the one that was being all awkward and super uncomfortable? Weren't chicks supposed to be all like ' _yes, we bleed from our vaginas every month. Accidents happen sometimes. Get the fuck over it'_? At least, that was how Evergreen had put it once when Laxus had been unsurprisingly acting like a moron. But Bickslow just didn't know how to make Lucy accept the fact that he honestly did not give a shit that she'd accidentally bled on his sheets. Really. He didn't care.

He rarely used white sheets anyway; they didn't match the darker tones he preferred to keep the room decorated in. He'd really just been too lazy to wash the rest of his other ones that had been sitting in his laundry basket for at least a week.

"Besides," he continued from behind the counter. "This kind of makes us even anyway."

Lucy couldn't see it, but she decided to indulge him. "Um… Please explain…"

He shrugged. "I threw up on your rug and you cleaned it up." Which, he was thankful for, even if he had completely destroyed it anyway and he owed her a rug (but a rug and sheets were very different things anyway). "You, uh… yeah. We're even. But just forget about it, alright?"

"Fine," she reluctantly agreed. She'd at least try to forget about it, but just ignoring Bickslow for the next eternity seemed like a really good idea, too. At the very least though, she was going to be ignoring him for the rest of the afternoon. Her own bed was calling her, and the sooner Lucy got home, the sooner she could just stop moving, and moving was quickly becoming painful.

So after an all too awkward exit where Lucy hadn't been sure if she should apologise again, Bickslow was only staring down at the dishes he figured he should wash before going to find his daughter, and wondering if they had somehow learned how to multiply or something. Either that, or he was imagining the fact that he was sure there were more than what there had been on the bench when they'd finally gone to bed the previous night.

He assumed he was just imagining it.

* * *

Lucy was almost in a daze as she left the doctor's office on the Tuesday morning. The rest of Monday had in fact been spent trying to move as little as possible, and then first thing that morning, she'd been pulling herself out of bed and making a visit to her doctor.

It hadn't surprised her in the slightest to be told that she really wasn't pregnant. _Not anymore,_ at least. That… That was the part that had surprised her. And she'd spent most of the time there just staring blankly at her doctor to try and figure out if she had actually misheard him.

She hadn't though, of course. And she hadn't misheard him when he'd ordered more tests to confirm what he'd already suspected was true, and she hadn't misheard him when he'd gone on and on about how he didn't know how it could've been possible for her to conceive in the first place, and how he'd most definitely be needing to do some more research into _her_ particular issue that was supposedly rare enough as it stood.

Lucy just didn't really know how she was even supposed to feel after that.

She was annoyed for one at her doctor, and she had next to zero confidence in him now and she wasn't sure if she should believe a word he said at all. She was mostly relieved, too. It was a _really_ good thing she wasn't actually pregnant, because that was not something she would've been prepared to deal with. Not even in the slightest.

But she was strangely… _disappointed_ , too, almost like she had a weight on her that was keeping her down. And she didn't really understand why. She couldn't have children. She'd accepted that. She was still just a little sad, though. And maybe it was because she'd spent those last three days telling herself – and Bickslow – that she really couldn't be and that it was impossible, just to have it almost thrown back in her face and proved wrong – sort of. Maybe it was because all of their stupid hypothetical conversations from the weekend had made her remember just how much she hated the stupid magic that was supposedly fucking things up, and was making her realise just how much she still wished she could've been able to have her own family at some point in her life.

Or maybe, it was just because she really had been pregnant, against all the odds, and now she wasn't. And she wouldn't have even known at all if it hadn't been for Bickslow driving her insane, although Lucy didn't know if that in itself was a good or bad thing. But she'd found out nonetheless.

Not that it mattered now anyway, because it had been so early that it didn't even really count.

It still counted to Lucy though for some reason, and maybe that was what upset her and confused her the most. She knew she should just move on and get on with her life like it hadn't happened, because that was just for the best. She'd have been better off not knowing at all, if anything – it wasn't like she would've known any better if she'd hadn't taken the damned pregnancy test in the first place.

But she should just not let herself be upset by it. She didn't really have that much of a reason to be. She should just be relieved.

Still, in her somewhat dazed state, Lucy realised at some point she hadn't been walking home but had instead been heading in the opposite direction – towards Bickslow's house. Even realising that, she didn't stop or turn around. She just kept walking until she was in the quiet street and coming up to the Seith mage's house. It wasn't the worst thing she could be doing, and it sure beat what she would've been doing, which was spending another day curled up in bed and reading.

Besides, she really needed a hug. Or at least she wanted one right then. And Bickslow was the best at giving hugs.

When she knocked on the door though, Bickslow didn't actually expect to open it and find Lucy standing outside. She had a key, after all, but he figured that she had just not brought it with her. He only smiled at her briefly before stepping back to let her in – he was still always glad to have Lucy there. More than he should, anyway.

"Hey— _oh_ , okay…" Bickslow hadn't even had the chance to close the door behind her before she was hugging him and had her arms around his waist, and so he had Scarlett in one arm and resting on one shoulder, and an all too quiet blonde hiding her face against his other shoulder. Bickslow only had the babies push the door closed for him before he was looking down and softly asking, "Hey, are you alright?" Something was not right – that much he could actually feel.

Lucy nodded. "Just cold, and you're always warm," she lied. She wasn't cold, but it wasn't worth telling Bickslow the real reason she'd ended up accidentally staining his sheets. It wasn't important, though. He didn't need to know that she was just strangely upset and confused by what she'd been told.

But of course, it didn't quite go over Bickslow's head that it wasn't exactly the truth, and he wasn't oblivious to the fact that she was upset by something, just like how he wasn't blissfully unaware of what day it happened to be and where Lucy had probably been before coming over.

Bickslow figured it was within his best interests to _not_ ask about how her morning had been so far. He wasn't wanting to completely invade her privacy again. And as worried as Bickslow was all of a sudden, he was fine with not asking. He didn't think he _wanted_ to know, anyway.

"Have you had anything to eat yet?" he asked instead as he leaned back slightly. "I was about to make breakfast. Want some?"

Lucy shook her head then. "Not yet, no," she said. "But something to eat sounds good. What were you planning on doing?"

"Bacon and scrambled eggs. That okay?"

"Sounds great," she said quietly with a small smile. Bacon sounded really good right then.

When Lucy went and sat down on the lounge, still quieter than Bickslow liked, he'd been about to just set his daughter down in the rocker by the sofa just so he could actually go and get breakfast ready, but then a better idea was coming to mind. So Bickslow turned instead and made his way back over to Lucy, then was carefully holding the five-week-old out for her to take. "Here," he said softly. "Hold her for a bit. Babies always cheer people up." Or at the very least, Scout cheered him up a hell of a lot, and he knew that Lucy liked her a lot, so he kind of hoped that she'd cheer Lucy up, too.

Except Lucy hesitated for just the shortest of moments when she briefly found herself wondering if going to Bickslow's really was a good idea at all. But then she only nodded, realising her sudden _envy_ was completely ridiculous and uncalled for, and took Scarlett from the Seith mage and smiled brightly up at her before pulling her down into another hug that made her feel strangely better.

But of course, the hesitation was another thing Bickslow noticed, and with how off Lucy was right then, it wasn't taking much for him to at least have some kind of idea about what was bothering her.

* * *

 _A little over 20k words in total. So, you know why it's taken nearly a month to get this out. I also have been working on a few of my other stories, too. For anyone interested, I've started on the next chapters for **A Peculiar Situation** , **The Reaper and the Angel** (two chapters, actually. One is very much M rated...), **Third Time's the Charm** , and also almost finished the first chapter of a new story, **Of Shady Knights and Stupid Princesse** s, which is actually the first of two short-ish chapter stories. I'll be posting that one soon, if anyone wanted to know. And of course, there's some other ridiculously long one-shots I've been working on for the last few weeks and months too, so, yeah... A lot to divide my time between. But this chapter of HIMY was my focus, which is why this is done and nothing else is. _

_Now, talking about this chapter... Yeah, all of that happened (do I say that in every A/N? I think I do). Laxus will be playing a larger part in the next few chapters, and my favourite dorks will eventually kind of... get somewhere that's not completely in limbo. Sort of. Fluff is still coming, and so is angst - sooooo much angst - and so is smut. A lot of it. A lot of all three._

 _But generally speaking, this is that one story where I just don't give a damn about any boundaries. This is M for a multitude of reasons. Mostly for Bickslow's mouth at this point, but... yeah, never mind, it'll still be M for Bickslow's mouth in the future chapters, too._

 _Still! I hope you liked this chapter! It's a little... awkward. But hey, I write awkward things apparently. But if you did like it, please remember to leave a review! I had so much fun reading all of the ones for Chapter 8... Holy shit._

 _Until next time._


	10. Gross, Feelings

Bickslow didn't notice Evergreen until she was sitting down beside him on one of the benches on the second floor of the guild. And even then, when he just cracked an eye open to look to her, he was only closing it just as quickly and resting his head back against the wall.

"What are you doing up here?" he mumbled. He'd been sort of given a small area of the upstairs walkways for when he was in the guild and he needed to go someplace quiet to get his daughter to settle without actually going home. It was his quiet box, if anything, since Freed had set runes up making it so all noise outside that small area was dampened, and no one in the guild could hear anything that went on inside the box. It worked, surprisingly, because sometimes all Bickslow wanted to do was be in the guild instead of just being stuck in his house, and from up there, he could still see everything that was going on. That was just something Bickslow had always liked doing, too.

Evergreen shrugged. "Just wanted to check up on you," she answered softly. "How are you?"

It was Bickslow's turn to shrug. "Hmm, tired. Tired… Oh, and, tired." With a sigh, he was lifting the nearly six-week-old he had cradled in his arms up and was holding her above him before bringing her down to kiss her cheeks. "Because _someone_ ," he continued, gently kissing the tip of her small nose then. "Has decided sleep is for the weak. You're killin' me, kid. I love you, but you're killin' me. Daddy's gotta sleep too, _occasionally_." Bickslow wasn't even sure where Scarlett's supposed aversion to sleep had come from, but it was most definitely there. He savoured the times that she had actually napped for more than half an hour over the last week.

The brunette beside him laughed quietly before offering, "I can watch her tonight or something if you want to catch up on sleep. I don't mind, Bix. You know that."

"Nah, it's fine. You don't need to do that."

"Not even if a night off means you can spend another night curled up with Lucy?" Evergreen asked slyly.

"Ever…"

"Question, though," the Fairy mage continued despite Bickslow's cautious tone and side-eyed glared. "I've heard of fuck buddies, but are you and Lucy _cuddle_ buddies now or something?" She'd really been meaning to ask Bickslow about Lucy since the Monday when they'd all seen the two mages sleeping peacefully together, but she'd just been trying to find the right moment to do so. Evergreen knew not to ask about it while Laxus was around, and then where she was curious about it, Freed had only said that it wasn't any of his business just what Bickslow and Lucy were, or were doing.

But really, Evergreen needed to know.

Bickslow wasn't quite sure what was going on. Evergreen asking about Lucy was a really bad thing, and until that moment, he'd been utterly convinced that absolutely no one knew that he'd spent the better part of two and a half days literally curled up with Lucy. Hell, he hadn't even known that anyone else had known that he'd been with Lucy over the last weekend at all. _She's just guessing, right?_

 _"Totally guessing,"_ the babies answered, giggling a little too mischievously.

He had to know for sure. "Why are you asking me that?"

"Because we came over on Monday morning to see if you were feeling better," Evergreen started to explain with an all too knowing smirk on her lips.

 _Oh fuck._

"But then we saw that you were _both_ still sleeping, so we decided to leave you to get your rest."

Bickslow grimaced and tried to sink into the wooden bench. "Who is _we_?" he asked cautiously. He could deal with Evergreen knowing just how he'd spent his weekend, but he was more than terrified of just who else had found out without him even knowing.

She shrugged as she answered, "Freed and Laxus."

" _L-Laxus_?" Bickslow choked. _Time to move back to Astrantia._ But Bickslow wouldn't have even known that all three of them had seen him asleep with Lucy if Evergreen hadn't just told him. In all the times Bickslow had talked to Laxus throughout the last week – which admittedly, had only been for a combined total of half an hour because Bickslow was trying to avoid him – Laxus just hadn't seemed like he had, in fact, seen his best friend and his ex-girlfriend fucking _snuggling_.

Maybe that was a good thing, though. Maybe it meant Laxus just didn't care if something between them... happened – not that Bickslow was sure if that was what either of them wanted, or if anything actually _could_ happen. Or maybe, it was just Laxus pretending he hadn't seen it at all. That was more likely.

"Wait, you're not actually worried about Laxus, are you?" Evergreen blinked. "Why on earth are you worried about him?"

"Oh, I don't know…" Bickslow found himself answering immediately. "Though it probably has something to do with the fact that I'm kind of fucking his ex-girlfriend." _Shit_. _Why did I say that? Mother fucker._ He looked away with a shake of his head as he mumbled, "I'm exhausted. You can't believe a single word I say."

"Yeah, like hell I won't," Evergreen muttered. "But you and Lucy? Really? Is that actually a thing now?" She'd most definitely not been expecting the words that had come out of the Seith mage's mouth, but they made it all the more interesting, and she still needed to know more.

"I'm not answering that."

"Oh, come on. Please? You can't leave me hanging now. I won't tell anyone, I swear it. Please, Bix?"

Bickslow knew Evergreen could go on for an eternity if he let her, though, and she'd eventually just start swatting him with her fan to make him talk. She was annoying like that. But… She was like the sister he'd never wanted or had, and Bickslow really did know that he could tell her absolutely anything because she was brilliant at keeping secrets and deflecting. But Bickslow just still didn't know if talking about whatever the fuck that was going on was the right thing to do. Even then, it wasn't like there was that much to talk about anyway, because there really wasn't anything going on…

Well, kind of.

But then again, Bickslow had just spent the last week thinking non-stop about Lucy, just because of how she'd been the last time he'd actually seen her, so maybe talking about… well, whatever _it_ was, wasn't such a bad idea. He trusted Evergreen. She wouldn't tell anyone – especially not Laxus – about what he told her, so maybe Bickslow really should just take that opportunity to talk about it all. He was confused as all hell about Lucy, so Bickslow was beginning to find himself hoping that talking would clear things up for him at the very least.

So he just sighed before he finally said, "It's complicated."

"I'm sure it's not."

"No… It really is." But aside from the fact that Bickslow really wasn't interested in talking about the fact that there was still something weird as all hell going on between them that was making him annoyingly uncomfortable whenever he went more than a couple of days without being _near_ her, he _couldn't_ talk about it either because he just didn't know _how_ to. He didn't understand the weirdness that was, in fact, making his life just a little complicated, so he sure as hell couldn't talk about it. It was just a good thing he didn't really want to talk about that.

"Well…" Evergreen continued, tucking one foot under her as she turned on the bench to face the Seith mage. "Are you two a thing or not?" _That's not complicated, is it?_

"Uh, no. Not a thing," he mumbled.

"Then what?"

That… Bickslow wasn't sure of. He hadn't even seen her since the beginning of the week on the Tuesday, and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't spent the last near week worrying a fuck ton about her. She'd just been so distant since that morning, although distant had really just been bordering on plain ignoring again since she'd taken off on a job with Natsu on Friday, the day before, right after Bickslow had simply asked her how her day was when he'd run into her on his way out of the guild. And Bickslow got the message that Lucy didn't want to talk about just what it was that had upset her considering she'd kept denying that she was even upset at all, which was why he hadn't even asked her about just what her blood test results had actually come back with… But it still kind of hurt knowing that she'd chosen just ignoring him and pretending that absolutely everything was fine over actually talking to him.

It hadn't really been that hard for him to figure out that part of why Lucy was ignoring him was because she'd probably actually been pregnant in the first place – or at least, that was what Bickslow's guess was. But to him, that was what made sense. Because Lucy had just been so sure that it was all a mistake and that she really most definitely was not pregnant, because she really _couldn't_ be. But if she'd gone in to see her doctor again on that Tuesday morning to get the results she'd wanted and expected, she would've been fine. She wouldn't have spent that entire fucking day almost refusing to let go of his daughter for more than five minutes – not that Bickslow minded, of course.

And if he thought about it, if it turns out that he really was right and that Lucy somehow had been pregnant at some point for however brief it may have been and she really had found out about it, he could sort of see why she hadn't told him and had pretended she was okay. It wasn't like it was really important anymore, especially if it meant she'd already somehow miscarried and missed it (you know, assuming she had been pregnant at some point in the first place), because there wasn't anything that could be done about it. Just like how there wasn't anything that could be done about Lucy not being able to have kids at all, which was something that was really confusing the hell out of Bickslow if he really had knocked Lucy up.

But he could see that Lucy wanting to maybe just have some privacy would be part of why she wouldn't have told him, too, because Bickslow would be the first to admit he'd completely invaded it over the course of the weekend. He wasn't completely sorry for it and he probably never would be either, but he could still respect that there were just some things Lucy wasn't willing to share. Of course, Bickslow hoped that if Lucy had been pregnant and hadn't lost the baby, that she would've actually told him about it before he'd had a chance to figure _that_ out on his own.

But even respecting her privacy and it being why he wasn't completely _annoyed_ over the fact she was really just ignoring him and avoiding him at that point, Bickslow still wasn't sure what _they_ were. They weren't a _thing_ by a longshot; not an _item_ and most definitely not a damn _couple_. But they were… Well, they were something, weren't they? There was still that something else there that just made them no longer strictly _just_ friends. Bickslow knew Lucy was just as confused about the entire situation as he was – or at least, she had been before… But with her seemingly avoiding him…

Bickslow really couldn't help but wonder just what it meant. Surely they were still friends though, right? They had to be. He'd gone the last two years being her friend, and honestly, at that point, he was pretty sure he wouldn't cope if Lucy wasn't his friend anymore. She meant way too much to him.

But were they a thing? Hell no. "We're just friends, I suppose," he finally answered with a small shrug. "Nothing has really changed."

"Apart from the fact you're sleeping with her," Evergreen pointed out.

"Okay, but it was just twice. And I highly doubt it'll happen a third time."

"Still, if you're worried about Laxus, then it means there's something else, right?" she said, just to get another side-eyed glare from the Seith mage. "So, even if you two don't end up getting together again for whatever reason, and even if you haven't got any intentions of it happening again, you wouldn't be scared of Laxus if you believed that you and Lucy were _just_ friends."

It was at times like that that Bickslow hated the fact he had a woman as a best friend. They were just too intuitive. Nothing could remain hidden from them. _Nothing_.

"So," Evergreen continued, as knowingly as ever. "You like her, right?"

"W-What? No. 'Course not. Don't be ridiculous," the Seith mage muttered.

"Oh, come on!" she whined. "You so do."

Did he? Hell, he probably did. That much Bickslow had already realised. But it was just so weird, so he was trying really hard not to think about it much, and it was easier _not_ to think about it, anyway. But Evergreen really wasn't going to leave him alone, so it was with great reluctance that Bickslow mumbled, "Maybe… Maybe just a little bit…" But with the Fairy mage beginning to squeal in his ear, he was quickly continuing, "But it's not like it matters or anything, so don't go thinking that it does."

She'd been prepared to tease the Seith mage endlessly about his _crush_ on Lucy, but now, Evergreen wasn't so sure she could do that. Not yet at least, not when she was confused. "Why doesn't it matter? Are you worried Lucy doesn't feel the same way?"

Bickslow just mentally cringed. This is what he got for talking to a girl about his… _feelings_ : he got roped into actually talking about them. But, really, there were worse people Bickslow could be talking to about how he may or may really like someone he shouldn't. Mira was one of those people that was worse than Evergreen.

But still, now that he'd opened his mouth, Bickslow knew he couldn't shut up. "No, that's not it," he sighed after a moment. Lucy not _feeling the same way_ wasn't an issue in the slightest – or at least it hadn't been before she'd started avoided him – because Bickslow knew she was just as confused about her own strange feelings. "It's just…" _It's just that I have no fucking idea why I like her like that as it is, and I don't understand why I can't even go two fucking days without feeling like I **physically** need her? Yeah. Because that makes sense._ "It's complicated, alright?"

"Yes, so you've said."

The Seith mage shook his head. Complicated didn't even matter. "Plus there's Laxus. So, yeah, nothing matters."

"Why are you so worried about Laxus anyway?" Evergreen asked then. "It's been almost a year since they were together, and he's with Cana now anyway."

"That's not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

He shrugged. "The point is that she's his ex." It was like that was all Bickslow thought about, too, even though it was the last thing he wanted to be thinking about when his mind did of course drift to a certain _pretty_ blonde. "So, even if I did hypothetically want something else with Cosplayer, I can't do shit 'cause she was fucking my best friend long before she was fucking me. She's off limits."

Evergreen could only let out a sigh with a roll of her eyes. _The male species is completely ridiculous._ She didn't understand their moronic ' _code'_ in the slightest and she had no intentions of _ever_ understanding it, but sometimes, all Evergreen wished for was a physical copy of their stupid _'Bro Code'_ just so she could burn it right in front of all of them. The entire existence of it was just unfair on her – and every other woman that somehow got involved in in its ridiculousness – and took away the importance of her own feelings and wants. "What about Lucy then?"

"What about her?"

"What if something more is what _she_ wants?"

"I doubt it is," Bickslow muttered.

"Okay, but, _hypothetically_ ," Evergreen began, deciding to use Bickslow's own choice of words against him – he noticed it, too. "If you wanted to be something more than _'just friends'_ like you claim to be, and that was what Lucy wanted too, would you deny her that just because of Laxus?"

Bickslow really wasn't sure what he wanted which was a problem in itself, but assuming he really did want Lucy more than he presently did, and assuming Lucy was the same, he was quickly realising that he'd probably still end up being terrified of Laxus' wrath if that scenario was to ever happen. "Yeah, probably," he answered with another shrug. Even if he got to a point where he just really wanted to be something more than whatever he currently was to Lucy, Bickslow realised that he really wasn't going to do a damn thing while Laxus still loomed over him.

It was safer that way, right?

* * *

Bickslow had never been one for celebrating Thanksgiving, not even when he'd still been at home and living with his family. It had really always just felt like a waste of a holiday to him, so he enjoyed how his guild family tended to celebrate it in unconventional ways if at all.

That year, Bickslow hadn't had the slightest intentions of doing anything, and he'd just assumed that would be the case anyway since he had a six-week old baby to look after and Scarlett was more important than doing god knows what with his team (and he was most definitely thankful for his daughter so doing nothing and hopefully letting her sleep in his arms had suited him just fine), plus there was the whole issue where Bickslow just wasn't sure if Laxus was plotting his murder or something…

Staying home had really just seemed like the better thing to do to Bickslow.

But then Evergreen had shown up with Wendy in tow and told him that he should have a night off, and with Wendy supposedly babysitting Scarlett for the night, Bickslow had been all but dragged out of his house by the Fairy mage and over to the Strauss house for a Thanksgiving party of sorts – well, after he'd been forced into a nicer shirt at least, one that probably and hopefully didn't have spit-up on it. He hadn't really thought he needed a night off, but Bickslow just hadn't felt like arguing with the woman, and Wendy had seemed way too excited to look after his kid, too.

So that was how he came to be following Evergreen up to the Strauss siblings' second floor apartment a little after the sun had set. They didn't even knock when they reached the door, Mira having already supposedly been expecting them, so Bickslow just continued to follow Evergreen until they were in the surprisingly large living area.

"Oh! Ever!" Mira came hurrying from the adjoined kitchen with a bowl of some kind of salad in her hands – Bickslow really just had no idea what it was. He wasn't big on salads. "You made it!" And then she saw Bickslow just behind the brunette and smiled as politely as ever. "And you brought Bickslow! Ah, the more the merrier!" She really didn't mind though. She'd already had a few more guests turn up to her party than expected. One more didn't matter.

Bickslow didn't need to be a genius to figure out that he hadn't exactly been invited to Mira's little gathering, and he was almost tempted to just turn around and go back home. "Ever…" he said cautiously and quietly. "I wasn't invited, was I?"

"Not exactly, no…" she answered. "But it's fine, really! It's just Mira. You know she doesn't mind."

"That's not the point. Why'd you even bring me here if I wasn't invited in the first place?"

"Well, because… Because I thought you should have a night off!" Evergreen said.

"I didn't need a night off."

"No, but it's nice to have one anyway, right?"

Bickslow crossed his arms where he stood at the side of the room. Evergreen wasn't good at keeping secrets, especially from him, so he knew it wasn't entirely about him supposedly getting a night off. "Ever, why am I here?"

She let out a sigh before glancing over her shoulder to the thankfully empty living room. She figured everyone there was helping in the kitchen or already in the dining room. "Elfman invited me here, okay?"

"Oh, you've gotta be fucking kidding me," he groaned.

"Hey! Don't be like that, Bix!" she hissed.

"Well, can you blame me?" the Seith mage countered. "I mean, you've been dating for like, a year, and you're still needing someone to fucking third-wheel you guys." Admittedly, he knew he was a fantastic third wheel, but he was also sure he'd still have Evergreen insisting that he tags along to things with her and Elfman when they're married.

"That's irrelevant," Evergreen mumbled dejectedly. It wasn't like she enjoyed how things were, but she couldn't help the fact that she was just more comfortable with Bickslow around sometimes. She really freaking loved Elfman, but sometimes, he was a little too much to handle. Bickslow being around always just made it easier and a little less tense.

Bickslow could only sigh and wrap his arm around her shoulders to squeeze her gently. "Alright, fine." He was there, so he might as well try and enjoy himself, and if that just meant third-wheeling one of his best friends to make her weird as hell relationship work, then third-wheeling it was. Though really, sometimes Bickslow couldn't help but wonder why they didn't just break up. He wouldn't have to tag along then.

So finally, they decided to go join everywhere else, wherever they were.

Evergreen's guess was correct in that everyone was in the Strauss's dining room. _Everyone_ actually turned out to be more people than they both expected though, so for a second, Bickslow was just stuck under the archway in stunned – and slightly terrified – silence. Freed was there, unsurprisingly, and helping his girlfriend set up the ridiculously large dining table (honestly, he was amazed at just how large the apartment actually was considering it was just the three of them and they all spent the majority of their time at the guild and not really taking jobs), and Cana was sitting next to Laxus down one end of the table… But next to where Gray and Erza were talking with Lisanna and Natsu, Lucy was sitting, too.

It had only been a day since he'd spoken to Evergreen about how he may or may not feel about Lucy, and as glad as he always was to see Lucy because he still got a sense of relief from just being around her right then, Bickslow almost wished Lucy wasn't there right then, or that _he_ wasn't there right then instead. With Laxus there, Bickslow only felt like it would be wiser to sit on the opposite side of the room and not say a single word to either of them. The last thing Bickslow wanted was Laxus getting suspicious, especially since he seemed to know how he'd spent his last weekend.

So Bickslow just did what he thought was the safest thing to do considering the circumstances, and sat himself down on an empty seat at the end opposite to Lucy, and right between Elfman and Evergreen.

He was a good third-wheel like that.

* * *

Lucy waited until after dinner to go find Bickslow. She'd been surprised to see him there that evening – and the look of surprise she'd seen on his face when he'd first walked in with Evergreen made her think that he'd been just as surprised to see _her_ there – but then again, Lucy was aware of just how strange her own presence there actually was. She hadn't expected to be going over there for what had so far turned out to be a reasonably nice dinner, not until her team had shown up at her door and told her they were going to Mira's.

As much as she had (annoyingly and strangely) missed Bickslow over the last week, she'd just thought it would be smarter to hold off on talking to him until they didn't have their respective teams and friends right there next to them.

She found him in the living room right as he was saying goodbye to Wendy on his lacrima it seemed, so she was only cautiously entering the room just in case she was interrupting.

Bickslow looked up when she came in and found himself smiling involuntarily – as usual when it came to Lucy, really. It was beginning to annoy him. "Oh, hey, Lucy."

Lucy couldn't help smiling back at him. "Hey yourself," she replied. "Was that Wendy you were talking to just before?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "Just, uh, checking up on Scout, I guess."

"I'm sure she's fine if Wendy's looking after her."

Bickslow sighed as he plopped himself down on the nearest sofa. "I know, I know… I just worry." He'd come to be incredibly attached to his daughter, and he really didn't enjoy being away from her all that much. Spending the weekend with Lucy when he'd been sick hadn't been that easy to do, but he'd also been just a little distracted by the possibility of Lucy being pregnant to miss Scarlett as much as he probably should've. But still, the older Scarlett got, the more she learned to do, and even at six weeks, Bickslow thought she was much more interesting than she had been when he'd first had the pleasure of meeting her.

"I know you do," Lucy said softly. She watched him lean back against the lounge and close his eyes as she sat down beside him before she quietly said, "You're tired, aren't you?"

"Exhausted," he sighed.

"Why don't you go home and get some sleep then?"

"Ever will be pissed at me for leaving her. Can't leave."

"Why's that?" she asked.

"Oh, because she's in this weird as hell relationship and she needs me to stay and third-wheel her and her manly boyfriend."

Lucy couldn't help but giggle at the sigh Bickslow let out with it. "That sounds like an interesting arrangement." She was sure the Seith mage made a fabulous third-wheel though.

"It is indeed," he agreed. For a second, Bickslow thought that things were normal and that he hadn't just spent the last week wondering how Lucy even was. It didn't feel like she'd been ignoring him for that entire time, probably because of what he _thought_ had happened, and he didn't feel like he needed her to be in the same goddamn room as him to feel even somewhat sane.

It just felt normal. And it felt good. And that felt nice. He didn't want to go and ruin that by asking if she was even okay, considering how she'd been practically avoiding him. She seemed like she was okay, and she'd at least come to talk to him on her own so that had to mean something.

It was just getting back to normal again, and he liked that. So instead of bringing up the fact she'd been avoiding him for a week, he only turned back to her and asked, "So why are you even here? I mean, no offence, but you don't exactly seem to, uh, fit in." Natsu and Happy were really the only ones that made sense to him. He didn't get why Erza and Gray were there either, but Lucy just made the least amount of sense.

"Don't worry, none taken," Lucy laughed. "But from what I understand, Mira invited Lisanna, obviously, since she lives here. Lisanna invited Natsu and Happy, and Natsu invited the rest of us… I think, anyway. I don't even really know just why I'm here, to be perfectly honest. I'd really much rather be at home."

"Ah, me too."

"Oh, there you two are!" Mira said as she came in precariously carrying a tray with shot glasses laid out on the top of it. "I was wondering where you both disappeared to."

 _She says it like we went off together…_ Bickslow didn't like that. "Was just calling Wendy…" he mumbled as he sat up slightly and Lucy next to him turned just so she wasn't sitting quite so close anymore. He hadn't even noticed until that moment.

"Well, if you're staying, Cana suggested some kind of game…"

"A drinking game, no doubt," Lucy snickered.

"Oh, of course. I've never played it before, but it'll be fun!"

Lucy didn't doubt how fun it would be. She'd been friends with Cana long enough and been roped into that many different drinking games to know that they were always fun for a little while – well, until the morning came, anyway. But right then, she wasn't so excited. She was more worried than anything, and she couldn't quite tell why.

* * *

If it was one thing that Bickslow _wasn't_ when he'd been drinking, it was a nice person. That was just some of the time though, thankfully, but that was something Laxus knew all too well.

Usually it was brought on by something else though, which was why for the life of him, Laxus couldn't figure out just what had made Bickslow so irritable that evening. For a while over dinner Laxus had just thought Bickslow's general disinterest in anything he said and odd snarky comments under his breath were just because he was tired. He'd heard Evergreen say that Bickslow was tired because of Scarlett, and he was known to not have the best moods when he hadn't slept much…

But as the night had gone on, Laxus had realised that it wasn't just because Bickslow was tired. There was something else bothering him. Laxus just didn't know what, and by the time they'd been playing Cana's favourite game for a little while, he was really beginning to get annoyed with Bickslow.

"Okay, my turn," Cana giggled as Mira went around filling up the empty glasses from the previous round. At that point, most were starting to feel the effects of the alcohol, so Cana decided it was time to have a bit more fun. "Never have I ever… left someone _unsatisfied_."

Bickslow couldn't help but snicker with a glance to Laxus opposite him as he lifted his own shot glass. "Better drink yours, Sparky." He at least knew he couldn't always please someone. That was something Laxus seemed to lack, but that didn't really surprise Bickslow in the slightest.

"The fuck, Bix?" Laxus responded.

Bickslow only shrugged. "That's just how you play the game, man. You gotta drink if you've done it." _And you've most certainly done it._ Except Laxus didn't know that Bickslow knew that, but then again, Laxus didn't even know himself that he wasn't quite as much of a _god_ in the bedroom as he believed. And really, Bickslow just couldn't help himself. The fact that he could do something that Laxus couldn't had really just amused him to no end and gone straight to his head.

Though he was also sure that he wouldn't have cared even half as much if it all hadn't been about Lucy and Laxus in the first place. Anyone else and he'd have kept his mouth shut. He knew that.

"I know how to play, dumbass," Laxus bit back. "Why the hell should I take the shot?" Part of him couldn't even believe he was asking Bickslow just why he thought he should drink to what Cana had said, especially right then with everyone around them just sinking into the awkward silence that had been created. But Laxus just really needed to know why of all the things Bickslow could decide to comment on for no good reason, it was that he'd supposedly left someone unsatisfied.

Really, Laxus had no idea where it was coming from.

Apart from the fact that he really didn't think he needed to drink to that, Bickslow had never exactly been one for wanting to know what his sex life was like, just like how Laxus really couldn't care less about Bickslow's own sex life (it was bad enough they'd shared a house). Yet now all of a sudden, Bickslow seemed to have no problem bringing the entire situation up. It was just another strangeness regarding the Seith mage's behaviour that Laxus was far too confused about.

Bickslow just couldn't stop the words from coming out of his mouth as he quickly responded, "Because your dick's not as magical as you think it is." _Wait, does that mean my dick is magical since I could get Lucy to cum? Shit. Stop thinking. Your dick ain't magical._

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" But then Laxus wasn't even giving Bickslow a chance to answer that before he held up his hand and leant back in his chair. "You know what? Never mind," he added. "I don't want to know what the hell you're on about."

"Wise choice," Bickslow chuckled.

But it was then that Laxus was changing his mind yet again and letting his curiosity get the better of him. There was something really off with Bickslow and Laxus just needed to know what it was. He was sure his brain might explode otherwise. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Problem? I don't have a problem."

"You obviously do," Laxus mumbled. How uncomfortable everyone was around them seemed to be lost to them at that point, but Laxus didn't really care. It wasn't his fault that things were uncomfortable at all. It was Bickslow's. He started it. The way Laxus saw it, he was just putting an end to it. "So tell me what the fuck's going on."

"Trust me, you don't wanna know," the Seith mage muttered.

 _So there is a problem._ At the very least, Laxus was glad that Bickslow could at least somewhat admit that, but he still didn't like it. As annoying as Bickslow was most of the time, the guy was still his best friend, and even though he really didn't show it much, he still worried and he cared. He cared about his team more than he was willing to admit out loud. So as much as Bickslow was pissing him off right then, Laxus still worried about whatever it was that was bothering him. "Trust me, I do," he insisted.

 _Well, if he really wants to know…_ "Fine then. You really want to know what my problem is? _You're_ my problem."

"Excuse me?"

Admittedly, Laxus wasn't the only person in the room that was confused by what had come out of Bickslow's mouth. Even Bickslow himself was confused by it, but not because he didn't mean what he'd said. Bickslow was only confused because he didn't really know where it was coming from. Truth or not, he hadn't exactly been planning on letting his little outburst get that far. But now, he couldn't really stop himself.

And maybe the worst part of it all to Bickslow was that he really knew what he was saying, too. It wasn't as entirely alcohol-induced as everyone else probably thought. He was completely conscious and in full control of what was happening, yet he was still confused – and confused was a feeling he was beginning to get used to being.

"You," Bickslow said again, quickly beginning to stop caring about who he may or may not offend – namely Laxus. It all needed to be said, didn't it? "You're my problem."

"Yeah, I got that the first time you said it. You wanna explain that for me though?"

"You think you're some kind of fucking god because you're Laxus freakin' Dreyar and you expect everyone to want to worship you and kiss your ass."

Laxus sat back and stared at the Seith mage in bewilderment. That was what it was about? Really? That he was an asshole most of the time? Because Laxus knew he was. But he'd always thought it was something that was understood and not talked about, because most of the time it wasn't even like he tried to be a bastard. That was just how he came off because talking to people outside of the Raijinshuu or even the guild was most definitely not his strong point.

But he really didn't think he was a god, nor did he expect people to worship him. Maybe a little when he'd been younger and stupider, but not so much anymore. Though he couldn't help but wonder just how long Bickslow had been wanting to say that to him – and more importantly, just how the fuck that had anything to do with his dick supposedly not being as magical as he thought it was. Honestly, Laxus was still having a hard time wrapping his head around that. It was probably one of the strangest things Bickslow had ever said to him.

Laxus only shrugged after a minute. "Alright."

Except as much as Laxus thought that was the right thing to say – he really didn't want to annoy Bickslow further – Bickslow did, of course, disagree. "Alright? Really? That's all you have to say?" _He's not even going to argue with me about it?_ Then again, right then Bickslow decided that it wasn't even unlike Laxus for him to not deny it. "God, you really are just such a cunt sometimes, Laxus. You know that?"

"Hey now…"

"No, really, you are. You won't even deny it, and that's not even all of it!" There was no stopping him now. He didn't even want to stop, and he'd only just begun. There was apparently just too much he'd been wanting to say for far too long, and he already knew that the whole situation with Lucy wasn't helping him in the slightest. "For starters, you couldn't even find it in yourself to actually be fucking _happy_ for me when I told you about my _daughter_. That hurts, Laxus. It really does."

"Who said I'm not happy?" Laxus wondered.

"Don't give me that. I know you're not. And I get it's weird as hell, but come on, man… Don't fucking lie to me about it."

Even Freed and Evergreen managed to feel a little guilty as they remembered just how they'd first reacted to the news of Scarlett, and Laxus could only shuffle uncomfortably in his seat.

"But you're still just so goddamn _arrogant_ ," Bickslow continued despite how uncomfortable everyone in the room was. "You're too up yourself to even consider the possibility that you've fucked a woman and they haven't gotten off." Even if he hadn't known that was the case with Lucy specifically, Bickslow wouldn't have believed Laxus if he'd told him otherwise. That was just close to impossible. Not even _he_ was that good.

Laxus really wasn't all that sure why he should care. Sure, it was probably the truth, but he wasn't going to actually have a conversation about his sex life and whether or not he was actually good in bed (well, he was, because he certainly hadn't had any complaints that he knew of), and he sure as hell wasn't going to get involved in some kind of weird contest, if that was even what Bickslow was going for. Laxus just didn't even care to find out if that was the case, either. The guy was just taking things too far and Laxus didn't really want to listen anymore.

Mira stood with a small frown and quietly mumbled, "I think I'm going to go start cleaning up…" The night was undoubtedly over anyway.

"I'll help you," Lisanna added.

"You should really think about shutting up before you say something stupid, Bix," Laxus said in warning as the two left the room.

"No, screw you." He wasn't done. And he most certainly wasn't scared of Laxus. "You're so much of an asshole that you couldn't even admit that _you_ were the reason Lucy was avoiding you after _you_ fucked up your date with her." He could still remember Laxus making him go talk to Lucy the day after they'd gone on their first date to go and find out what was wrong with her, and he could still remember how disappointed Lucy had been because of how Laxus had acted. It hadn't been Lucy's fault their date had been close to disastrous. It had been Laxus' fault, because he just didn't know how to act or treat someone properly.

And hell, Bickslow could still remember how he'd told Lucy to give the guy a second chance all because he'd known that Lucy had really liked Laxus then (why, he had still yet to figure out). The last thing Bickslow had wanted to do was get involved with someone else's relationship (well, aside from Evergreen's), but he'd gone and done it anyway, because he'd wanted Lucy to be happy and he strangely hadn't wanted Laxus to fuck up something that good.

He of course regretted giving Lucy that small bit of advice though, just because the six weeks that had followed had been horrible for him.

Laxus couldn't stand for that though. He still didn't understand where all of what Bickslow was saying was coming from, but he really was sure they were things he'd wanted to get off his chest for a while. "Bickslow, just shut your mouth."

But unsurprisingly, Bickslow didn't stop there either. "You barely even appreciate the things you have," he continued as he came to stand in front of the Dragon Slayer after he'd gotten up to grab his signature coat from the rack by the hall. "You made the entire fucking guild hate us when you went on that stupid power trip." And granted, they'd really all been at fault for that particular event, but still… "We hurt our _family_ because you let us believe they were all weaker than us, when _we_ were the weakest of them all."

"Bix…"

"But you couldn't even see them as your family or acknowledge them as people you grew up with for fuck's sake."

"I'm warning you, Bickslow…" Laxus almost growled.

"And seriously, it's a fucking wonder you managed you date Cosplayer for more than a _week_ with how incapable you are of actually talking to a human being most of the time. But that's why you're not actually in a proper relationship with Cana, right? Because so long as she's drunk enough to just keep fucking you and not see you for who you really are, you're fine to continue being an asshole who doesn't know how to talk to people."

Laxus didn't bother saying anything before he was turning back to face Bickslow and having his fist meet the guy's face. "I fucking warned you." And really, it had needed to be done. Evergreen always told him violence wasn't the answer, but sometimes, it really was. Bickslow had really just needed to shut the hell up and cool the fuck down. True or not, Laxus didn't want to hear anything else from Bickslow right then. He didn't think anyone in that room did either, to be perfectly honest.

But strangely, Bickslow wasn't even surprised Bickslow had decided to punch him, and as he staggered back while holding his hand over his nose – he didn't think it was broken, thankfully – he was quickly realising just how much he had needed to shut his mouth. He really might have gone a bit too far. "Alright… I deserved that," he mumbled.

"Yeah, you bloody did."

Bickslow nodded once and quickly looked around at everyone still in the room. He didn't think he'd ever had so many people look at him with such disappointment before. "I think I should uh… I should go…" And it came to no surprise to him that not a single person tried to stop him from leaving, though he thought that that was maybe for the best anyway.

He just didn't know what had come over him. He'd only meant to tease Laxus a little, but then it had just gotten so out of hand and… Bickslow knew he'd said some pretty horrible things and he owed a lot of people apologies now.

And still, the fact that his outburst had really had something to do with how confused he was about Lucy wasn't lost on him. It was almost as if Lucy was still dating Laxus and that he was just annoyingly jealous of the guy for taking Lucy away from him.

But that wasn't even the case, and Bickslow knew that. Their relationship was long since over (not that it made Lucy any less _off-limits_ ), and no one was taking her away from him. But even knowing that, he still couldn't really change how he felt all of a sudden.

Lucy wasn't even his in the first place, which was something he really did know all too well, so he had absolutely no reason to worry about _losing_ her. He didn't even have a reason to be so mad at Laxus, aside from the part where he'd made it abundantly clear that he didn't really like the whole kid thing. But he still hadn't really done anything wrong, and Bickslow knew that.

All of it was just far too confusing. He couldn't tell if he even _wanted_ Lucy in the first place, but _not_ having her was just as terrifying as Laxus finding out about any of it at all, and Bickslow really, _really_ did not want to be the super terrible friend that got with the guy's ex-girlfriend – or at least, he didn't want Laxus _knowing_ he was the super terrible friend that actually got with his ex-girlfriend and probably, maybe, ended up knocking her up, too.

But if he could actually make sense of everything, that would really just be too great. That was all he wanted. Because it was really just driving him insane at that point.

"Hey, wait up."

He turned to look over his shoulder just to find Lucy pulling her jacket on as she came down the stairs at the front of the Strauss building.

She'd only left barely a minute after Bickslow, but he was already so far away and she was almost having to run to catch up to him. "I'm not as tall as you," she giggled nervously. "I can't walk that fast."

Bickslow only frowned down at her before she began walking alongside him. "Why are you out here?"

"I wanted to see how you were." She shrugged, then was reaching into her purse for the small packet of tissues she always carried before passing one of them to Bickslow. "Here. It's better than your sleeve… Or your hand." But both the black shirt sleeve he'd rolled down and his hand had dried blood on them anyway, but she figured a tissue would still make it a little easier for him.

"Oh. Thanks…"

"He didn't break it, did he?"

Bickslow gave a weak laugh as he dabbed the scrunched up tissue under his nose, trying to stop the bleeding. "I don't think so, no," he replied. "Hurts like a bitch though."

"It looked like it hurt," she giggled, though as soon as her laughter had fizzled out, the awkward and uncomfortable silence was returning in a big way and Lucy was only looking down at her feet and wrapping her hands around her arms as they walked.

She really was wondering how Bickslow was, and it wasn't just because she'd had the pleasure of seeing the guy get what he'd honestly deserved (and it really had looked like Laxus' punch had hurt). It was more about what he'd blurted out to deserve getting punched in the first place – and it most definitely didn't help that she'd been brought up a few times. He'd seemed fine when they'd had a chance to talk just after dinner, but then as soon as Cana had had her turn and Bickslow had snuck that snide remark in about her less than stellar (and thankfully _past_ ) sex life with Laxus, it had just all fallen apart so quickly. Lucy was, of course, still intrigued by Bickslow's fascination with the fact that he was at that point the only guy who'd managed to give her an orgasm with something other than his tongue (which was really just something else entirely), but she could ask about that later. Finding out just what the hell had happened at dinner was more important, because she was really quite worried, and she couldn't help but think she was somehow close to ruining a friendship. And that was the last thing she wanted to do.

"So… What was all that about before?" she asked finally with a cautious glance back up to him.

Bickslow let out a sigh as he shook his head. He'd been expecting that from her since she'd made the effort to come after him, and, well… He really needed to apologise, too. "I… I don't really know, to be perfectly honest," he answered tiredly. "But god, I am so, _so_ sorry. I said some really fucking horrible and stupid things."

"It's okay…" It wasn't like he'd said anything she didn't already know, at least where she was concerned anyway. If anything, he'd just brought up some bad memories.

"No, it's… It's not." He reached out to gently touch her arm when he stopped and waited until she was looking up at him in silent question before he added, "I mean it, though. I really am sorry. For everything."

"What are you talking about?"

"All of that stuff that happened before," he said. "You know, when… When we met and all. And uh, fought." _And you totally owned me, but that's not the point._

"Oh…"

Bickslow cleared his throat before continuing – it wasn't exactly a topic he liked talking about, but he felt like apologising again. "I know I've said sorry for what happened like a million times by now, but I really do mean it. I'm so, _so_ sorry for what we— _I_ did to you. You know I wouldn't—"

"Bickslow." Lucy smiled warmly as she cut him off. "You know I've forgiven you. All of you. It was a long time ago, Bix. You've changed. You're a different person now. I know you wouldn't hurt me, silly." It had only been a few years since the whole incident – and since they had, in fact, met – but a few years was plenty of time for someone to change, and it was also plenty of time to get to know someone. Bickslow had _somehow_ become one of her closest friends in that time, so she knew how good of a person he actually was behind the ridiculous get-up and his jokes and constant teasing. She'd forgiven him for what had happened long ago. "Besides," she added with a teasing curl of her lips. "If I hadn't forgiven you a million years ago for that, do you really think I would've slept with you? Or dated Laxus for that matter?"

"Uh, yeah, sure…" he mumbled. He cleared his throat awkwardly when they began walking again before continuing, "But um… For what I said inside just before, too… I'm really sorry for that. I didn't really mean to say all of that, but I just… I don't know. But I'm sorry for what I said about you."

She'd seen Bickslow visibly flinch when she'd mentioned Laxus, and how uncomfortable he was now only just made her even more curious. If what had happened just before didn't involve Laxus, she didn't know what the problem was. After all, Bickslow had quite literally said that Laxus was his problem…

"It's fine, really," she assured him with another small smile. "So… Do you want to talk about all that before?"

"Not really."

Lucy nodded. "Okay, how about you tell me just why you care so much about being better in bed than Laxus then?" She really just needed to know. The chuckle that slipped from him surprised her just a little though, and she could only glance back up to him with an eyebrow raised.

"Because I'm a jealous fucking asshole," Bickslow answered almost bitterly before he let out a drawn out sigh. He was quickly realising his answer was one that wouldn't make all that much sense unless he explained it all, and that meant trying to explain his outburst, too… But he figured that Lucy wasn't the worst person to be admitting things to. Not really, anyway, but that might have been the vodka talking at that point. "Okay, look, I really fucking hated it when you were dating Laxus."

"Oh, you don't say?" She surprisingly knew Bickslow and Laxus hadn't been on the best of terms when she'd been dating the Dragon Slayer, but she really couldn't see what that had to do with Bickslow now supposedly being jealous.

Bickslow rolled his eyes at Lucy's giggling. "Shut up," he mumbled. After Lucy gave a small apology, Bickslow just took a deep breath before finally continuing, "When you were dating Laxus, I really hated it because I felt like… Like he'd taken you away from me."

"Oh... Um…"

"It's stupid, I know," he said. He couldn't look at her as they kept slowly walking. "But that's just how I felt because I knew I couldn't really talk to you anymore if you were going to be with Laxus, because I mean, it's not like our conversations then were all that appropriate…"

"And you distanced yourself from me because you didn't want Laxus getting jealous and thinking there was something going on…" she guessed. She'd assumed as much, but Lucy hadn't thought about it all that much. She hadn't really had a reason to with her relationship with Laxus lasting less than two months and with things going back to normal straight after.

Though if she really had to admit it, she could see why Bickslow had thought it necessary to distance himself. She expected Laxus to be the possessive type – which was not at all _her_ type – so she could see the benefit in her friendship with Bickslow going on hold. Laxus really wouldn't have thought Bickslow hitting on her was as innocent as it actually was, not if she'd been in a relationship with another guy…

Bickslow had really just been saving his own skin, and she could see why.

"Pretty much," he sighed. "You were just… You were always one of the people I enjoyed talking to the most, you know? And I know we didn't really _talk_ but I just really missed being able to say anything to you at all when you were with him, because I just didn't know how to have an actual, decent conversation with you then…"

Lucy couldn't help but smile. How Bickslow saw her as a friend was something else she knew, but it was still nice hearing it occasionally. "But we're talking normally now."

"Yeah, but a lot has changed. It's different now."

"I suppose so," she agreed. "But what does you being a little jealous of Laxus when I was dating him have to do with knowing who's better in bed?" Was there some strange reason, or was it just his ego?

Bickslow was sure his nose had stopped bleeding at that point so he only tossed the crumpled tissue into a trashcan on the canal as he passed it, then ran a hand back through his hair and let out another sigh. This was the easy part, he knew it, but he wasn't so sure telling Lucy would be a good idea. He was suddenly sure it was just a little embarrassing. "Well, uh… Laxus is kind of the only thing we have in common, in a weird sense…" he began anyway. "And some people still think that all the Raijinshuu do is worship Laxus and exist just to protect him and all…"

"I know that's not what your team does."

"Yeah, but there's some people that don't. But they think he… _leads_ us. And he doesn't. Not really. But people assume it means we're always going to follow him, and… And that's not true either. We're not always going to agree with him."

"So…"

" _So_ …" he continued, "Sometimes… It feels really fucking good to be better than him. Especially when it comes to things he's a little up himself and conceited about… Like making you cum, for example."

Lucy only thought that Bickslow was the one that conceited, though it strangely didn't surprise her in the slightest that it really did just come down to his ego. She didn't even need to look back up to know he was sporting an annoying smirk.

But even when she wasn't surprised that it was about his ego, Lucy really didn't like the reason that was actually behind it. It was almost as if all she was to him was a means to beating Laxus. Maybe the only reason Bickslow was somewhat interested in her at all was because she was supposed to be _off limits_ to him.

She had absolutely no idea what she and Bickslow were, if they were even anything at all, and she didn't know what she _wanted_ to be to Bickslow. But Lucy was damn sure she didn't want to be someone Bickslow used just to feel like he was better than someone else.

She just didn't want to be treated like that, and especially not by Bickslow.

"God, I almost wish I didn't ask…" she muttered.

"Oh, uh… Sor—"

"And don't apologise, either," she added sternly. "Not if you don't mean it."

He blinked and stared at Lucy in confusion as she kept walking after he'd stopped. "Wait, what do you mean? What did I do?"

It was with a frustrated sigh that Lucy spun back around to face the Seith mage again and said, "You treated me like… Like I'm just some kind of game to you." She knew enough about Bickslow to know he enjoyed his games, especially when they had anything to do with Laxus, so she couldn't help but see herself as part of another twisted game of his. And she hated that.

"Lucy, I—"

"And I'm just… I'm so tired of you always saying that I'm _'off limits'_ because of Laxus," she cut him off again. "It was almost a year ago, Bix! Who I date doesn't define me forever."

"I know that."

"But you still only treated me like I'm nothing more than a way for you to feel like you're better than your own best friend?"

"Lucy, I didn't." He was almost surprised she didn't interrupt him that time and even let him get more than two words in, but he was worried she'd do it again if he said a single wrong word, so he only proceeded cautiously and softly that time. "And I'm not. But if that's how you feel, I really am sorry, okay? That was never what I intended."

She shifted uncomfortably on her feet as she looked down to the ground. "Then what _did_ you intend?"

 _For weird feelings not to get involved?_ "I don't know," he quickly said instead. "But it wasn't that." He made sure to use his right hand – the one that he hadn't been using to hold his nose and so didn't have his blood on it – to rest against her cheek and tilt her head back to face him before he softly added, "I care about you. More than I probably should, I'll admit that. You're _far_ more than just a _game_ to me."

Lucy nodded once. "Good. Because… Because I care about you too." That much was obvious, wasn't it? After all, she had just left a partly (admittedly a ruined party because of Bickslow) to chase after him and see if he was alright. That had to count for something. "You know, because you're… you."

"Because I'm me, huh?"

"You know what I mean," she muttered when they started walking again. Although Lucy had to admit that she had no idea how Bickslow would know what she meant by it, because _she_ didn't even know what she meant. "But, I know I probably don't have to say this either…"

"…Say what?" Bickslow couldn't help but get a little nervous.

She chanced a glance up to him before she said, "Don't think that I'm yours."

Now Bickslow couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, trust me. That won't be a problem," he mumbled.

 _Now what the hell is that supposed to mean?_ Despite her confusion, Lucy continued with a slight clearing of her throat, "What you said before about hating Laxus when I was dating him, because you said it felt like he was taking me from you…"

"Oh. Yeah…"

"Just… Just don't think that. Ever."

Bickslow nodded. "Got it." At least he thought he got it. He was honestly just a little confused… and uncomfortable. He was beginning to regret his decision to talk.

"Because you don't really have the right to turn into a possessive asshole," Lucy continued again, just internally grimacing when the words left her mouth. Bickslow wasn't a possessive asshole. She knew that, surprisingly. "No one really has the right to be."

"Alright."

"And, you know… Even if someone _did_ have the right to be a possessive asshole, you still wouldn't need to be… _jealous_ or anything. Because I'm still going to be here and be your friend. It's going to take a lot to get rid of me, you know."

Bickslow nodded again. "Okay then." It really wasn't like he had any intentions of being possessive – ever, really. But jealous? That was something else entirely, and was also something he was very much guilty of being at times. But he was going to work on it… maybe.

He was already sure that him never getting jealous again over Lucy was just wishful thinking, and that was kind of terrifying.

But of course, as they walked, Lucy was beginning to realise that it was wishful thinking on her part that Bickslow never get weirdly jealous – or god forbid actually possessive – in the future, too. She really didn't want him to get possessive and it was the last thing she wanted to deal with since things were crazy enough between them as it was. But knowing Bickslow, Lucy just couldn't help be sure that her rambling had been mostly useless.

She couldn't help the way her lips curled up into a smirk when she glanced up to the Seith mage to ask, "You're still going to get weirdly jealous, aren't you?"

Bickslow's grin was instant. "Oh, _totally_. I mean, how can I not be when you're supposed to be wearing a big, sparkly, ring! It has rubies on it, you know. It's actually pretty nice."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "You're really never going to drop the whole marriage thing, are you?"

"Never in a million years," he chuckled. He really was incapable of forgetting about it. "Fate is a funny thing, my darling Cosplayer."

"God, you're a dork."

"Yeah, but right now…" He lifted his arm just to wrap his arm around Lucy's shoulders and tuck her into his side. She was really just the perfect height for him to do it. "This dork is cold because he forgot to bring a jacket, so you gotta keep me warm until I'm all warm and toasty at home."

Lucy sighed as she wrapped one of her own arms around his waist. "Well, you're lucky that I'm cold, too, and also happen to really want to go see Scout right now."

* * *

For the first time Bickslow could remember ever since he'd had the pleasure of meeting his daughter, he woke up refreshed. And for a moment, all he could do was sigh and smile up to his ceiling as he stretched out in the middle of his bed. His mattress was possibly the best thing he'd ever spent far too much money on.

But then slowly, and much slower than he liked, it was dawning on him that it was far too quiet, and that he had, in fact, woken up refreshed.

He shouldn't have woken up refreshed. He should've woken up with a pounding headache to a screaming infant that wanted formula.

And just to terrify Bickslow even more before he'd even managed to untangle himself from his wonderfully soft sheets, the babies were unusually silent. He couldn't even tell if they were there at all.

Stumbling out of his warm and toasty bed as fast as he could, Bickslow was dashing over to the bassinet still by the windows and was sure he was actually having a coronary when he found it empty. But as he ran straight for the stairs, he was reminding himself he didn't have a reason to worry just yet. He was still waking up, considering his panic, so Bickslow was incapable of remembering just what had happened the previous night after leaving Mira's, but he was sure everything was fine and that his daughter was just upstairs in her room. He rarely put Scarlett to sleep in the nursery, and never at night, just because he felt like he'd miss something or not be able to hear her crying or even get to her in time if something happened. The lack of crying still scared the living shit out of him right then, but Bickslow was just trying to convince himself that his six-week-old daughter had somehow learned to start sleeping through the night months earlier than she should've.

But all of his worry was instantly washing away before he'd even reached the very top of the stairs, because Scarlett was perfectly safe and sound with Lucy, all wrapped up in one of his throw blankets from downstairs in the little alcove at the end of the hall. His memory was slowly coming back to him as his heartrate slowed to a much more reasonable pace. After relieving Wendy, Lucy had stayed for a little while, partly to eat ice-cream with him, and partly to hog his daughter's cuddle time all to herself, but he'd gone to bed not long after that. He'd only told Lucy to make sure she locked the door when she left, but she'd ended up staying, and…

Bickslow kinda liked that she had.

"Could you have made any more noise?" Lucy murmured with her tiredness heard in her voice. "God, it was like a herd of elephants were running around downstairs."

Bickslow couldn't help but chuckle quietly as he dragged his feet over to the window. "Sorry. I was kind of freaking out a little." He only lifted Lucy's feet under the blanket so he could sit in the opposite corner, and made himself comfortable with her feet on his lap. "I didn't know you were staying," he said softly.

Lucy shrugged. "I wasn't originally planning to…" she began. "But then I thought you could use a decent night's sleep for a change, so I stayed and watched Scarlett for you." It hadn't helped that Lucy just really hadn't been too fond of letting go of her to actually go home, but it had mostly been about giving Bickslow some help. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Oh, not at all. I just don't recall hearing her cry at all."

"That's because she didn't. Not really, anyway."

"No kidding."

Lucy shook her head before she looked back down to the infant, still perfectly cradled in her arms and asleep for a little while longer, she supposed. "She was really good," Lucy whispered, smiling fondly as she adjusted the smaller blanket Scarlett was in. "She stayed asleep most of the night, actually."

"How'd you manage that?" he asked almost seriously. And sure, when Scarlett hadn't been sleeping over the last week, Bickslow had quickly realised that the only way to get her to sleep was if he held her. But even then, the kid still cried, and she cried _a lot._ Honestly, with how quiet his daughter was right then with Lucy and learning that she'd supposedly been that quiet for the entire night, Bickslow was feeling pretty useless. And he was the kid's actual parent! "Are you some kind of baby whisperer?"

"I'm not a baby whisperer," she giggled. "All I did was hold her just like this." That was where she'd been most of the night, too. Just sitting up there against the window, surrounded by pillows and wrapped in the warm blanket. It had been nice up there.

But really, if his kid had to like anyone better than him, Lucy was a pretty good choice. And as much as Bickslow really did love just being able to hold Scarlett as much as he possibly could, he wasn't so interested in doing so right then. His daughter was perfectly fine exactly where she was, and so was Lucy. He knew she was happy then too. It was almost as if he could feel how happy Lucy was right then, like it was slowly radiating from her and seeping into his own soul, that was how sure he was of it. And considering how Lucy had been the last time he'd seen her, seeing her happy was an incredibly welcome change, and the last thing Bickslow wanted to do was ruin it.

And if anything, Bickslow didn't think Lucy was wanting to give up his daughter just yet. If it was one thing he knew, it was that Lucy was very much a fan of baby cuddle time.

"Well, I'm gonna go take a quick shower," he said once he'd had enough of staring at Lucy and his daughter. "And then I'll make you some breakfast if you want. And coffee."

"Mm, that sounds really good," Lucy hummed. She lifted her feet and tucked them under herself when Bickslow got up again, and then was hopefully asking, "Oh! Can you make some waffles today?"

"Waffles? Sure. I can do waffles."

"With… With strawberries! And whipped cream!"

"You know, a _please_ would be nice every now and then…"

"Sorry. _Please_ ," she said softly.

Bickslow grinned. " _Thank you_."

He only managed to get halfway down the stairs before he was really starting to think about how miserable Lucy had been after their germ-filled weekend. It had all just been moved to the back of his mind since the previous night when they'd started talking, but now that there was nothing really else to keep him occupied, it was at the forefront.

He knew that asking Lucy about what her test results from her blood test had actually come back with was not something he could do, just like he knew that straight up asking if she'd actually been pregnant at some point over the last few weeks was an even worse idea. But what he could ask was if she was even okay. And if anything, that was all Bickslow wanted to know. That was all that mattered to him at that point.

So he was turning to slowly climb back up the stairs, and was just leaning on the bannister once he reached the top to carefully ask, "Are you, um… You know, okay?"

Lucy only looked back up when she heard him, but her smile faltered for a second when she realised just why Bickslow was asking it in the first place.

She'd figured Bickslow was probably suspect that something was wrong since she'd been almost unusually distant and absent for the past week. After finding out she really had been pregnant the week before, she just hadn't really known how to feel. Spending the day with Bickslow as she usually had when she'd found out had helped, and she'd known Bickslow had been doing his best to cheer her up as discreetly as possibly, but as soon as she'd gone back home, she'd only realised that actually _processing_ it would be impossible to do unless she was actually alone. It hadn't helped that she really hadn't felt that great either, but for a few days, what she'd needed was space. Leaving for a short job with just Natsu and Happy had really only been because it had been such a long time since they'd taken any with just the two of them and Natsu had thought it would be nice for a change – and Lucy was sure it had been because Natsu had noticed she hadn't quite been herself also.

But now, space wasn't what Lucy needed. She'd had just that tiny amount of time to herself to think and process what had actually happened, and she was back to being herself. And admittedly, there'd been a few moments over the night where she'd been looking down at Scarlett in her arms and she'd found herself wondering what would have happened if she hadn't technically miscarried, but she was okay.

She thought she was, at least.

So she nodded and gave Bickslow her answer. "I'm perfectly okay."

* * *

 _A decent length chapter this time around (yay!). There was supposed to be a lot more to this, but it would've been upwards of 15k words if I'd gone there and I thought this was a nice place to end. So, the next chapter is either going to be a lot longer and so incredibly smutty (yes, yes, yes). Or, the next two will be a little shorter than usual, and still smutty (again, yes, finally)._

 _This chapter is a bit weird, I know. But Bickslow and Laxus have a lot of things to sort out in the next chapter, and then after that... Hehehehe._

 _Anyway. For those who didn't see **Match Made in the Stars** (the new entirely BixLu one-shot collection, and if haven't, go look at it!), since I'm back to uni full time and don't get a lot of free time with studying and all that which makes my updates pretty far apart, I'm going to be updating my profile with what I'm currently working on (chapters and one-shots). It's not ones I'll be working on in the future. It's just chapters and stories that I've actually already started working on. If it's not on the list, it does not mean it has been abandoned. I hope that makes sense._

 _But, that's it. Now, I have an essay worth 40% of my grade for one unit to go start (since it's due in like two days...), so I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, please let me know! And as always, thank you all for the wonderful reviews on the last chapter. Really, you're awesome._


	11. Domestic Bliss

_I want to apologise for taking so long to update this, but I also wanted to quickly thank everyone who left me a kind message over the last couple of months when I was seriously considering not continuing any of my stories (this included, naturally). I still generally feel like shit, but I'm slowly getting to the point where I just stop caring. Basically, I'm trying to ignore the part of me that needs constant validation lol. Oh well._

 _Anyway. I'm also going to apologise for this chapter as a whole. I've been working on it for nearly four months, and I'm just... so done with it. I honestly can't stand to work on a single chapter of it for a second longer, so I'm updating it now. I don't want to have to come back to this and edit it or even read it again. I just need to get it out of the WIP stage before it drives me actually insane. I will say, though, that actually proofreading this just before and actually remembering just what the fuck I even wrote, it's not as bad as I'd thought over the last few weeks where I've really tried to finish the last scene of it of. Still... I don't love it._

 _This chapter is basically just a filler. I have no idea how long the next one will be, but there's a good chance it will be long as all hell (up to 20k words again), but who knows..._

 _But still, hope you like it... I might have another fic posted for Christmas, assuming I manage to get that one finished in the next few days... (My 'hiatus' hasn't been a productive time in the slightest, but that's okay.)_

* * *

If it was one thing Lucy had come to enjoy more than she should, it was watching Bickslow cook. She'd let her feelings for that particular topic be known on several occasions too, but sometimes, Lucy just couldn't stop herself from telling Bickslow once again just how much she loved that little known fact about him.

There was just something far too heavenly about watching him rush around his kitchen, grabbing pans and boards and chopping up various ingredients for his fancy (well, by Lucy's standards at least) dishes. And when she was exhausted from only having arrived back in Magnolia first thing that very morning from a tiring job two-day with her team, watching her favourite Seith mage in action was a great way to start her day – not that she'd actually slept or anything recently, but still.

"Mm, it's so hot watching you cook," Lucy murmured almost absentmindedly. She wasn't even regretting going to Bickslow's instead of getting the sleep she probably really needed. She couldn't get breakfast cooked for her by a strangely attractive Seith mage if she was sleeping, and no dream could top getting to watch him make her that breakfast either.

Bickslow could only roll his eyes. He was still trying to figure out why Lucy was even there that morning – and just why she'd found it necessary to wake him _and_ his daughter up at seven thirty in the morning by jumping on him when he'd been fast asleep for once.

But as far as her calling him _hot_ went, he wasn't really that confused. It had been a few days since Thanksgiving; he hadn't seen Laxus since then, but he had talked to Lucy a lot more over those few days, and unsurprisingly he'd enjoyed it. Although that was mostly just because he seemingly still couldn't get enough of just being around her. But still, now that they were talking again, things were kind of back to normal again, except now that they'd actually somewhat admitted out loud to each other that they did care at least a little more than they should, things between them were just a tiny bit different.

They just weren't quite so _careful_ around each other all of a sudden. And maybe what Bickslow liked the most that had changed, was that Lucy wasn't so scared of being just a little more playful with him. It made things entertaining.

Sometimes.

"That's because you're sitting right next to the stove that is currently _on_ , you dork," he responded over his shoulder. "And stop sitting on the counter."

Lucy sighed as she hopped down from the bench. _Well I suppose that does explain how warm I was…_ "You're still sexier when you're cooking though," she pointed out. _Much, **much** sexier…_

"Oh, the pain." Bickslow held his hand to his chest and sobbed dramatically. "And here I was thinking that you actually cared for me. But alas, I'm no more than your precious eye candy and your personal chef."

Lucy nodded before extending her arms to make grabby hands for the coffee he'd promised her earlier. "Yup. Now hurry up with my coffee. Lucy needs caffeine." She was probably going to fall asleep if she didn't get some coffee into her soon, and Lucy really didn't want to fall asleep just yet. She could sleep later.

Bickslow just sighed at her as he finished pouring the milk into the coffee in the largest mug he even owned. If Lucy was annoying like that when she was sleep deprived, he was terrified of finding out what she was like when she was completely drunk. The one time he'd seen her drink so much she'd actually gotten drunk was on Valentine's Day right after she'd broken up with Laxus, but Bickslow couldn't even really remember much about that day just because _he'd_ had that much to drink. All he did remember was that they'd somehow ended up lying on a random rooftop and laughing at the clouds. But still, Bickslow had a pretty good idea of how Lucy was when she'd been drinking too much from their Halloween encounter, but for the most part, he was scared of what Lucy was actually like.

He had a horrible feeling she'd be a handful.

The first sip of the coffee only had Lucy almost moaning. "God, you make such good coffee. You should just quit being a mage and open a café."

"I'm not opening a café."

"Maybe a restaurant then!" she suggested with another sip. She would undoubtedly be his favourite customer if he ever opened his own place. She'd also probably become highly dependent on caffeine if he opened a café, but whatever. That was a burden Lucy would live with. "Oh! Maybe you could teach cooking classes!"

"Cooking classes? Really?" Bickslow stared at her unbelievingly with an eyebrow raised. "You want me to teach _cooking_ _classes_?"

"Hey, don't give me that look. It's a brilliant idea, thank you very much."

"Uh-huh. Sure."

Lucy just huffed in annoyance as she folded her arms. She really did think it was a brilliant idea, and she was annoyed at Bickslow for thinking it was stupid so quickly. She hadn't even had a chance to explain why it was a great idea! "It is though," she insisted. "Because you're _really_ good at cooking, and it's not like you make overly fancy things, either. You make simple things, like… Like omelettes! And salads!"

Bickslow frowned. "What's wrong with simple?"

"Nothing is wrong with simple. I'm just saying that you make simple things like that and make them look and taste like they came from a four-star restaurant or something." Lucy shrugged as she picked her mug up again. "I think you'd do well if you taught cooking classes. Most are either too basic or way too complicated. Yours could be somewhere in the middle. I'd be the first to sign up if you had your own class." Hell, it would be the only cooking class she'd even consider going to more than once. She might even learn something if Bickslow was her teacher, too… Well, maybe. There was a good chance she'd spend more time just watching rather than actually learning, but that was good, too.

And for a few moments, Bickslow found himself actually considering teaching a goddamn cooking class. He most definitely had the talent and the skills to do it, and he would admit that he got what Lucy meant about most other classes around being at either end of the difficulty spectrum. Something in the middle would probably be useful to some people…

But Bickslow didn't have the patience to teach anything to anyone, nor did he really have the time to, especially now that he had a kid. Teaching was more up Freed's alley than anything.

He just shook his head before turning to scrape the chives into one of the pans on the stove. "Nah. Teaching ain't my thing. Sorry to ruin all your wild fantasies involving me as a teacher, Cosplayer."

Lucy sighed again. "I guessed you'd say something like that. Not to bother." As far as her Teacher Bickslow fantasies went, those weren't going anywhere, especially not as long as he kept wearing his glasses. She was just a little disappointed he didn't wear them that often. "But I'm guessing that means I won't be able to convince you teach just me a few things?"

Bickslow knew Lucy was almost a walking disaster when it came to cooking, but he knew that it was really just because she hadn't needed to learn how to do it herself until she'd left her old world. And even coming from the same world, the only reason he knew his way around a kitchen was because he'd grown up learning how to cook. Cooking was something he enjoyed doing, though, so he didn't mind in the slightest that part of the reason Lucy was still hanging around was just because she got free food out of him. As far as Scarlett went, Bickslow had long since stopped needing Lucy around.

But that didn't mean _he_ didn't need her around, because he did. He just didn't quite know why he felt that particular way, though he did have a bit of a theory that made sense of everything strange that had happened between them recently – Bickslow just tried not to think about that theory, though, because he knew that it was bound to make things a whole lot worse if he was right.

Still, Bickslow was just a little worried about Lucy no longer having _any_ reason to hang around. He just didn't want her to go. And if he taught her how to cook, wouldn't he just be making her stop coming around sooner rather than later? _But I still can't say no to her…_

"Um, maybe later or something," he mumbled instead. He was incapable of saying no to teaching her how to cook, but he didn't want to say yes. _Maybe_ was just going to have to do, and later was just vague enough that he might be able to put it off if Lucy pestered him about it.

That was an answer Lucy could live with though.

* * *

Bickslow sighed in relief as he folded the last of the tiny onesies that Scarlett had finally started fitting into and added it to one of the piles in front of him. He'd been amazed at how quickly she'd grown out of her newborn clothes – and at how quickly she'd grown in general, because it hadn't been that long since he'd found her and she'd been so incredibly tiny then – and had moved up to her zero-to-three month clothes. She'd been in those since she'd been three weeks old, but now when she was nearly seven weeks, the next size was finally fitting her well, although Bickslow only expected to be having to go out and get some of the next size in just a few more weeks.

But with all of his washing he'd been neglecting out of laziness for the last week and a half finally done, he could finally relax and just enjoy the peace for a little while before his daughter woke up again.

It was just that as he leant back on his hands where he sat in the middle of his lounge room, he began to realise just how peaceful it already was. Aside from the soft sounds coming from the lacrima-vision still, the constant faint buzzing in his head from the souls that he mostly tuned out at that point in his life, and his own quiet breathing, there wasn't anything else to be heard. It was just _too_ quiet for what it should've been.

So curiously, he turned to look over his shoulder to where Lucy had been sitting in the corner of the sofa and watching the lacrima-vision, just to find the same blonde curled up in the same spot and sleeping peacefully.

 _"How long has she been asleep?"_ he asked the two totems that had been perched on the lounge just next to Lucy the entire time.

 _"Since Rose and Jack were making the windows all foggy in the back of the carriage,"_ Pippi answered to a chorus of giggles from the rest.

Bickslow only rolled his eyes before turning back to the screen. He'd seen Titanic enough times (courtesy of Evergreen, as usual) to know that the movie was already more than halfway through and the moronic captain had already doomed everyone on board. He figured the fact Lucy had stopped making comments about the movie around the time she'd supposedly fallen asleep made sense, too, especially now that he thought about it.

But if anything, Bickslow was only surprised that Lucy had managed to fall asleep at all considering how much coffee she'd consumed that morning. Though he did have to admit that he much preferred her actually sleeping instead of trying to survive on caffeine, especially since he knew that it had been a while since Lucy had actually slept.

Bickslow couldn't even help but think it was kind of nice then, too, and not just because he thought Lucy was really fucking cute when she as sleeping; but because it _felt_ nice. But it wasn't really just because having Lucy around always seemed to make him feel a whole lot better, but because it was just oddly _domestic_ , and he'd come to really enjoy the whole domestic way of life in the last few weeks with Scarlett.

It wasn't the first time he'd thought about either. It had crossed his mind just a few times that Lucy might've been getting just a bit too comfortable recently, with still being there all the time and doing things for his kid that she really didn't need to do anymore. He got that Lucy just wanted to help, but the truth was that he just didn't really need it anymore. And even then, as incapable as Bickslow was of complaining about Lucy choosing to still be there, he hadn't been able to stop himself from beginning to worry about Scarlett getting attached to her. He didn't really care that Lucy had gotten attached to the kid, but Scarlett getting attached to Lucy was just something else. It was fine for now, sure, but the last thing Bickslow wanted was his daughter thinking Lucy was her mother or something. And if anything, Bickslow was just more worried about _Lucy_ than his kid if that ended up happening.

But thankfully, he still had _months_ to try and figure out a way around that, because Bickslow didn't think he'd be able to tell Lucy that he didn't want her around anymore.

Still, with Lucy having fallen asleep – although not because looking after a kid who still didn't really understand the concept of sleep had tired her out so much – Bickslow only wondered just what he was supposed to do. He _could_ just leave her there, but the lounge room wasn't completely closed off from the rest of the house and Bickslow didn't want to wake her up from making too much noise, so that really just left trying to move her someplace else – though he didn't really know how he was supposed to do that without waking her up.

His old bedroom that was upstairs came to mind next, but Bickslow was quickly shooting that idea down as well when he remembered that it hadn't been cleaned in at least the last few months. God knows how much dust was in there, and really, Bickslow himself didn't even want to have to sleep in there. So that really just left one other place, and it was the only place that Bickslow knew she wouldn't be disturbed in, too.

So getting up from where he sat in the middle of the floor, he crouched down in front of Lucy for a moment to make sure she was still asleep, and was then trying his best to gently scoop her up without waking her. Bickslow figured she must've been completely out of it when she didn't even seem to notice being picked up, despite her uncurling slightly in his arms and letting her limbs fall haphazardly over either of his arms. Bickslow honestly thought she just looked uncomfortable like that, since her face was just buried in the crook of his elbow, but it miraculously didn't seem to faze her.

The babies only told him that Lucy was weird, and really, Bickslow couldn't help but agree.

He walked carefully down the hall to his bedroom with the babies still trailing behind him, and then had Pappa and Puppu nudge one of the pillows down to a better position before Bickslow gently lowered the blonde down onto the mattress. He hadn't bothered pulling the blanket or the sheet back, so instead he quickly grabbed a throw blanket from the laundry cupboard and then returned to drape it over her.

Bickslow only watched her slowly curl in on herself again beneath the blanket before walking around to the opposite side of the bed to close the curtains completely. _"Mmm… Warm…"_ Lucy murmured then, and for a minute, Bickslow wondered if he'd woken her up anyway.

Poppo decided to try and figure out if she was awake or not though, and so the soul flew towards Lucy to gently nudge her. Lucy still didn't seem to be awake, but she sighed into the pillow before pulling the blanket up over her shoulders, and Poppo found himself being pulled into the blonde's chest with it.

 _"H-Help! Suffocating!"_

Bickslow had to hold a hand over his mouth to stop himself from chuckling out loud as the rest of the babies quickly flew from the room. _"You don't even breathe, Poppo,"_ he silently reminded the soul.

 _"But I'm trapped!"_

The Seith mage shook his head as he closed the bedroom door behind himself. _"I ain't helping you."_ Aside from the fact that freeing the little totem that Lucy had latched onto would wake her, Bickslow really just had no intentions of doing anything. It was Poppo's own fault for getting so close to her, and he found the fact that she was cuddling one of his _other_ babies right then strangely endearing. Only he got to cuddle with them, and despite Poppo complaining, Bickslow knew the soul didn't mind it at all.

The babies liked Lucy.

So with Lucy sleeping peacefully at the end of the hall, Bickslow only went upstairs to get Scarlett. She'd be up soon anyway, and it was nearly lunch time for him, so he figured now was as good a time as any to get her up and get her fed, too.

* * *

When Lucy woke up later that afternoon, it took her a few moments to get her bearings and realise she was in Bickslow's bedroom and on his bed. She stretched her arms up above her head until they just touched the headboard when she rolled onto her back, and it was only then that she became aware of something small and pointy digging into her side repeatedly. Lucy didn't get a chance to reach beneath the warm blanket she had over her before whatever it was that had been digging into her was flying out from under her of its own accord, and revealing itself to be one of Bickslow's totems.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Lucy laughed tiredly. "Was I crushing you?"

"Yes," Poppo answered, just for Lucy to laugh quietly again. As much as the soul had come to enjoy being smothered by someone other than Bickslow for a change, Poppo was very much glad to be finally free. The only problem was that all entrances to the bedroom had been closed by Bickslow, so until Lucy actually got up, Poppo was stuck in there. He learnt his lesson, though, so as soon as he was free, he was zipping off out of Lucy's reach. He wasn't wanting to be crushed again, thank you very much.

After a few more moments, Lucy did decide to sluggishly pull herself out of bed. She was tempted to take the blanket with her, it was just so warm and soft, and after just sitting on the edge of the bed where her feet still wouldn't touch the ground, Lucy decided to take it with her anyway. So with the throw blanket wrapped snugly around her shoulders, she quietly padded out into the hall with Poppo trailing behind her in search of a certain Seith mage.

It wasn't hard to find him, unsurprisingly, and when Bickslow looked up from where he sat in the living room with Scarlett just in front of him in her bouncy seat, he only laughed at the sight of Lucy all wrapped up in the blanket. "You good there?"

Lucy sighed happily as she tucked herself into the corner of the lounge. "I'm _very_ good, thank you," she answered, and then ignored the urge to hide under the blanket as she added quietly, "And thank you for, you know, letting me sleep."

Bickslow shrugged. He figured the blush she was sporting was more about how she'd gone from sleeping on the sofa to sleeping in his bed, not from how she'd just been sleeping at all. But he decided not to confirm that he had, in fact, carried her there himself. "You needed it."

"I really did," she sighed again, agreeing that time. "But I still feel like I could sleep for another few hours. What time is it anyway?"

"About five. But if you're still tired, why don't you go home and get some more sleep?" he suggested.

"Well, if I sleep some more, I'll only wake up in the middle of the night and then I won't be able to get back to sleep." Then, she was shifting towards Bickslow just to lay her head on his shoulder and look up with a coy smile as she added, "Plus, it's really warm here, and if I went home I wouldn't be able to have you make me dinner."

He rolled his eyes at the mage comfortably leaning on him. "Jeez, when was the last time you even cooked for yourself anyway? You might as well just move in at this point, you spend so much time here anyway." And as soon as the words had left his mouth, Bickslow had to stop himself from reaching for the cushion to suffocate himself. _I **really** need to start thinking about what I say._ The worst part seemed to be that he really wouldn't mind all that much if Lucy did somehow end up living with him. There were far worse people to have as roommates.

And thankfully, Lucy thought just as little about her own response that went with a quick kiss to the Seith mage's cheek as she sat up to climb over him to her feet. "Don't tempt me." Because the food alone was more than enough to have Lucy almost wishing she could stay there permanently. The fact she just happened to be the most comfortable around Bickslow at that point was a bonus. With Bickslow just a little too stunned by her response to come up with his own, Lucy proceeded to open up the kitchen cupboards. "How come you never do dessert?" she wondered aloud.

 _Dessert?_ "Uh… I'm not really good at that kind of thing…"

"Really?"

He shook his head. "Can't even bake a cake to save my life."

Lucy gave him an odd look over her shoulder before returning to her search for anything she could use to make cupcakes. She was craving something sweet all of a sudden, and cupcakes were always her go-to when she wanted something to treat herself with. "Well, luckily for you, I _can_ bake a cake," she said. Finding the flour in a canister at the back of the cupboard, she pulled it out and held it out triumphantly. "And muffins. And cookies. All sorts of things, really. I'm not even half bad at it."

"But you can't cook," Bickslow surmised.

"Correct." She began her search for baking powder and vanilla essence then, so she was ducking back down to rest on her knees in front of the cabinets – and of course, she still had the blanket wrapped around her without a care in the world. It was comfy. With her head in the cupboard, Lucy was calling back to the Seith mage, "Now, how do you feel about vanilla cupcakes?"

"Excuse me?"

She pulled her head out just to rest her chin on the top of the open cupboard door. Her entire body was hidden from Bickslow at that point, and all that was visible was her head and the end of the blanket draped behind her. "Vanilla cupcakes," she repeated. "Do you like them?"

Now it was Bickslow's turn to give Lucy the odd look, and he kept it as he sat up to reach forward and pick Scarlett up from the bouncer. It was reaching the point in the day where Scarlett was going to start getting grumpy if she didn't have another quick nap before dinner, and Bickslow _really_ didn't want to deal with his daughter trying her best to actually scream her little lungs out (and the house down, probably). Crying, sure, but screaming? Oh no. That just brought on an instant headache and he'd never been able to deal all that well with even the tiniest of headaches.

"Uh, sure." Bickslow didn't know what else to say as he shrugged and brought Scarlett up to his chest. "I like vanilla cupcakes."

"Great!" So with Bickslow heading upstairs, Lucy only went about gathering the rest of the ingredients to make her vanilla cupcakes. She was quite happy to find that Bickslow's kitchen had everything she needed – even icing sugar! – and didn't waste any time in getting started on them.

By the time Lucy had finished mixing up the batter and placed the cupcakes in the oven (Bickslow had honestly just been surprised to find he even owned a muffin tray), Bickslow only decided that it was just about time to get dinner started. It had only just gone five o'clock so it was earlier than he liked, but the last time Lucy had eaten was breakfast and it was a miracle any cupcakes had made it into the oven at all, considering how much of the batter she'd eaten.

He'd gone grocery shopping the day before though, so his fridge and cupboards were full once again, but it only meant he had no idea what to make that night. Lucy being there so often really was testing him, because before Scarlett, Bickslow had really just eaten what he wanted when he felt like it. The only meal he'd consistently done properly was breakfast – because breakfast was of course the most important meal of the day, and he really loved him some bacon. But Bickslow had to admit it was still really quite fun to actually cook for someone else, and Lucy's reactions never failed to entertain him.

Still, he had no fucking clue what he was supposed to come up with that night. It would be so much easier if Lucy had a food she absolutely hated. But so far, he hadn't found any.

"I take it you don't have requests for actual food, right?" he asked the Celestial mage with a sigh over his shoulder.

"Nope," Lucy giggled with a lick of the spatula still covered in cupcake batter. "Not at all."

Bickslow rolled his eyes as he reached over to confiscate the mixing bowl Lucy had been hoarding and the spatula she'd used, too, and then dropped them both in the sink. "Stop eating that shit," he mumbled.

"But it tastes nice," she whined.

"Yeah, because you put a fuck load of sugar in it, you dork."

"Your point?"

"You'll make yourself sick," Bickslow said. He would know – he'd ingested enough sugar on numerous occasions to make himself vomit. And really, it wasn't fun. Sure, he'd still laugh his fucking ass off if Lucy ended up feeling sick from eating so much of the cupcake batter (she'd basically cleaned the damn bowl herself just with her _tongue_ ), but he still didn't really want it to happen. Turning back to the fridge finally, Bickslow only stared at its contents for a few more moments before pulling out the tray of chicken breasts from the bottom shelf. "I take it you're not opposed to having chicken?"

"Nope."

"Good…" he mumbled. "Now, what to do with it…" Bickslow quickly cleaned up the rest of the mess from Lucy's cupcake endeavour before opening up almost all of his cupboards to see what was available for him to use. The canister of rice was what he spied first, and that was really all he needed to decide on something to cook that evening.

By the time the counter was topped with all the ingredients Bickslow had pulled from the cupboards and shelves, Lucy had a bit of an idea as to what he'd decided to do with the chicken, though some of them did confuse her just a little bit. "Are you going to do some kind of stir-fry or something like that?" she asked.

"Yup." Bickslow was just grabbing the frying pan from another cupboard when he got another idea. He'd been watching Lucy closely enough when she'd been making the cupcakes to learn a few things (like consistency, which was apparently _super_ important), and despite having had no interest in teaching Lucy how to cook earlier, Bickslow suddenly didn't think it was that bad of an idea. He could have some fun with it, too. "You wanna help me with it?"

Lucy's eyebrows rose in surprise at the offer. "Seriously?" Considering his earlier opposition to teaching her how to cook, she was really quite curious about where it was coming from.

"Sure. I mean, it's not difficult or anything. Even Laxus can make a stir-fry."

 _"Yeah, go ahead and insult her. That's definitely how you get her to stick around,"_ Pappa teased.

Bickslow simply ignored it, just as he did Lucy's eye-roll. He wasn't really insulting her; he was merely pointing out the truth. "Besides," he continued, "You wanted me to teach you how to cook, didn't you? I have to feed Scout anyway."

"Oh, well… Are you sure?" Lucy questioned. There was a difference between taking over his kitchen just to sate her random craving for vanilla cupcakes, and to actually make dinner. That alone was just a little strange, and it wasn't just because she was ultimately just a guest there and she felt weird actually cooking dinner for him.

It was more about how oddly domestic all of it was making her feel; like she wasn't really _just_ a guest there at all. Except she knew that a guest was all she really was, regardless of how at home she'd been allowed to feel, and how different things had become between herself and Bickslow.

But maybe the worst part was that she didn't mind any of it – not how confusing things were or how at home she felt there. She didn't care because as domestic as all of it was, it felt _nice_. And at that exact moment, Lucy couldn't really think of anything nicer than just hanging out with Bickslow and Scarlett.

"I suggested it, didn't I?"

"I suppose so…" Lucy agreed, then gave a small nod as she got up from the bar stool opposite the counter. "But sure, I'll help. I mean, I don't know how much help I'll actually be…"

Bickslow rolled his eyes at her. "Oh, shut up. Don't be so negative." Lucy being negative was really just confusing. And he might've laughed a little bit more had he not just witnessed her make the best goddamn cupcakes that he was sure he would ever taste. As far as Bickslow was concerned, Lucy was obviously better at cooking – and even baking – than she gave herself credit for.

"Hey, I'm just stating the facts…" she mumbled.

He decided to ignore that, and instead just pulled his favourite knife out from the top drawer and laid it on the board next to the unpacked chicken. "Okay, so basically, all you want to do with the chicken is cut it in half with the blade parallel to your palm like this"—he demonstrated with his palm laying just above the piece of chicken and picked the knife up in his other hand—"so you're thinning it out. Then, you just cut it into strips the other way."

Lucy nodded. _Seems simple enough._ "Got it."

After quickly washing his hands, Bickslow was leaving Lucy to cutting up the chicken and climbing the stairs to collect his daughter. By the time he was carrying her down the stairs and returning to the kitchen, Lucy was just finishing up with the chicken.

"What do I do now?" Lucy asked as she set the knife down onto the board again and looked back to the Seith mage, precariously holding his wriggling daughter in one arm and trying to open a clean bottle for her in his other hand. "Give her to me for a second," she laughed gently with a roll of her eyes again as she dried her hands on the tea towel and then reached for Scarlett.

"Thanks," Bickslow mumbled. It was really quite difficult to do anything when he was dealing with an infant that didn't particularly want to be held right then. He didn't understand Scarlett's newfound fussiness when it came to being held sometimes, but he was working through it – just like how he was working through how she seemed to hate an entirely new thing every goddamn week. Quickly adding the measured scoop to the bottle, he screwed the lid back and began shaking it quickly to mix it up. "But, now…" Bickslow glanced to the ingredients on the counter beside Lucy before looking to the stove. "Now you can put the rice on so it'll be ready when everything else is done."

Passing Scarlett back to Bickslow, Lucy went to work on setting the rice on the stove. Thankfully, she knew how to cook rice, so she didn't need Bickslow telling her how to do that. She did, however, need to ask where a big enough pot was. Then, with the water coming to a boil behind her, Lucy was getting the rest of the ingredients prepared, as per Bickslow's ongoing instructions.

After crushing the cloves of garlic, to which Bickslow only laughed at her for trying to slice them up into thin slivers instead of just hitting them with the back of the knife first, it was onto the onion. She'd barely started cutting it up before her eyes were stinging and she was having to take a breather. That was when she made the unfortunate mistake of rubbing her eyes with her fingers.

Bickslow couldn't help but cackle at the blonde's misery. "That was fucking stupid."

"Shut up," Lucy mumbled. She began fanning her eyes with her hands at that point, and exhaling deeply through her mouth to try and get her eyes to stop watering. "I hate cutting onions."

"We all do, baby," he chuckled. Though he was mostly immune to their effects by then since he used them in a lot of his dishes. Grinning as he looked down to his daughter still drinking from the bottle he held just above her, Bickslow couldn't help but tease Lucy some more. "Cosplayer's an idiot, isn't she?" he said in his baby voice that Lucy only loved to tease _him_ about. "Oh yes she is! Such an—"

"Alright, cram it, asshole," she muttered.

"Hey, no swearing around the little person, please!"

Lucy rolled her eyes – thankfully the stinging had subsided already. She didn't need to point out his hypocrisy since she knew he was already well aware of it. Instead, she just shook her head and carefully proceeded with the preparation of the ingredients. "Oh, bite me," she mumbled.

Bickslow smirked as he replied all too quickly, "With pleasure." And the flush on the other mage's cheeks made it so, _so_ worth it. He was enjoying the newfound freedom he seemed to have with Lucy a little too much.

By the time Lucy had finished slicing up the onions, the mushrooms, measured out the other vegetables, and gotten the rice into the boiling water, Scarlett had been fed and burped and was just about falling asleep again. That only left Bickslow to be mindlessly walking back and forth in the kitchen as he gently rubbed his daughter's back, and also annoyed the living hell out of Lucy – or at least that was how she saw it.

"You're not mixing it right," he commented over Lucy's shoulder as she attempted to whisk the peanut butter based sauce for the stir-fry.

Her automatic response was lifting the whisk up to try and get him in the face with it, but he unfortunately stepped back just in time. "Well, I'm trying, but it's not working," Lucy defended herself with a pointed glare to the face hovering over her other shoulder. "And I don't recall hovering over _you_ so much when you're the one cooking."

"You couldn't hover over me unless you were standing on a ladder anyway," Bickslow teased. He had no mercy whatsoever that evening, apparently, and he honestly loved it. Annoying Lucy had really always been one of his favourite pastimes. "Besides, I'm teaching you stuff, aren't I?"

"No, you're not. You're annoying me."

 _Same difference._ "You need to add more water to the sauce," he said, finally backing out of the kitchen to Lucy's relief. "It'll thin it out."

And when Bickslow headed for the stairs, no doubt just to put Scarlett back in her crib in her nursery, Lucy was filling the measuring jug with a little more water from the tap and then pouring it into the bowl with the sauce in small increments. The sauce was the last thing that had needed to be done, so when Bickslow came back downstairs, she was quickly wiping her hands on the towel and asking what she was to do next.

Next was the _actual_ cooking part, and Lucy really couldn't help but be a little nervous. She was absolutely _terrible_ , as far as she was concerned, and she really didn't want to be making Bickslow sick or anything from perhaps undercooking anything – _especially_ the chicken. "You know what? I think I've done enough cooking today," Lucy said as she turned away from the large pan heating up on the stove. From the cupcakes cooling on the rack next to the stove, to cutting up all of the ingredients and mixing up the peanut sauce, Lucy had done her fair share of cooking that day. There was a reason she had little money left at the end of each month – it was because she spent most of it on eating out and on clothes she didn't need. Though she would admit she'd saved quite a bit in the last few weeks, spending so much time with Bickslow… "Why don't you just put it all together, yeah?"

Bickslow frowned as he reached out to catch her wrist and gently tug her back into the kitchen between the counters. "Hey, come on. Where's that coming from? You were bugging me about teaching you to cook earlier," he said. "Why don't you want to all of a sudden?"

"I just… changed my mind," she mumbled with a small shrug.

"Well, I ain't buying it." Bickslow would be the first to admit that he didn't know all that much about Lucy, but he knew that she wasn't the type of person to just suddenly change her mind on something – not even when it was about simple things like cooking dinner. And before she could argue it, Bickslow turned and picked up the bowl with the sliced onions, and then dropped them into the pan with a sprinkle of oil over the top before he was gently pulling Lucy to stand directly in front of the stove.

"Bix, I really don't—"

"Nope. Come on, it's easy. You can do it." He didn't think all that much when he reached around her for the spatula before his arms were wrapping loosely around her waist, but in his mind, it was really just the easiest way to keep her from running – and he still wasn't quite sure why she even wanted to. "I'll even help you," he added softly.

"It's really probably best if I don't do anything…" Lucy tried persuading him still, despite her inner voice telling her to just get the hell over her weird fear of cooking for Bickslow, because there was something far too appealing about the idea of cooking _together_ , especially the way they were right then. "I would hate to ruin it – or make you sick or anything."

"Negativity doesn't suit you, Lucy," he murmured.

"Good to know."

Bickslow sighed as he pushed the fried onions around in the pan quickly before turning the heat down on the side. "How about this then," he began, lowering his chin to Lucy's shoulder. "You finish making dinner, and I will make you whatever you want, whenever you want it. Or something like that. I don't know. What's something you'd really like?"

She stared down at the slivers of onion that were slowly browning in the pan and considered the question. There wasn't a single dish or meal that she really wanted – at least not one she could think of at that exact moment. There was, however, something similar that Lucy wouldn't mind having Bickslow make for her. She wouldn't mind it one bit.

It was just that Lucy wasn't quite sure if it was… appropriate. It probably wasn't, but she strangely didn't seem to care all that much. Bickslow asked, and she would answer. And so after just a few moments, where she'd only been letting out a soft and drawn out hum, Lucy said, "Breakfast in bed."

"Breakfast in bed?" Bickslow repeated. "That's what you really want?"

She nodded. "Yup." She'd only ever had someone make breakfast in bed for her once, and it had been her team on her twentieth birthday just a few months earlier. Of course, waking up to her entire team in her apartment had scared the living hell out of her, and breakfast had really just been toast and orange juice – but it had been sweet, and Lucy just really, _really_ wanted someone to make her breakfast in bed again.

Bickslow had to admit it was odd, mostly just because as far as he was concerned, it would imply that the _recipient_ of said breakfast had actually spent the night there and then woken up in the bed that breakfast was to be served. And Lucy… She'd never really stayed _intentionally_. The only times she'd spent the night there were because she'd just fallen asleep because it had been late, when they'd both been down with a cold for the weekend, or when they'd slept together on Halloween. Of course, Lucy could always just come over in the morning and then make her breakfast in bed that way, or he could even just visit her in her own apartment. But neither of those options appealed to Bickslow much – the latter just didn't even seem to be possible, especially since he had Scarlett to consider too.

But the more Bickslow thought about it, the more he realised that he didn't mind the idea of Lucy staying over. Hell, he actually liked it.

"Uh, sure. I guess I can do that," Bickslow eventually said. "When do you want it?"

Lucy shrugged. She hadn't thought that far ahead, mostly because she hadn't expected Bickslow to agree to it. "I don't know. I'll let you know."

"Alright then."

With the onions browned and softened to perfection, it was time to add the next of the ingredients, so Bickslow was separating himself from the blonde to get the garlic and the chicken from island counter – or at least, Bickslow _attempted_ to separate himself from the blonde. As soon as he was stepping back and unwinding his arms from her waist, Lucy was stepping back with him and laying her hands over his forearms. "Nooo, don't leave me," she giggled.

"I'm not leaving you, you dork," Bickslow chuckled. Although he was rather confused about Lucy not wanting him to let go of her. He'd have expected her to be a little weirded out by it by that point, just because it felt far too _couple-y_ , and by under no circumstances were they a couple. That being said, he liked the awkward kitchen cuddling – or whatever the hell it was they were even doing. "I'm just getting the garlic and the chicken to put in the pan."

"Well then…" And so, of course, when Bickslow tried stretching his arm to reach for it (he failed, of course, because his arms weren't that long, unfortunately), Lucy found herself walking backwards with the Seith mage, and giggling almost uncontrollably as she tried her best not to trip over Bickslow's feet. Walking backwards while hugging someone was really not a clever idea, as she was realising.

Bickslow didn't really care to find out just why Lucy was content with him holding her, because the only thing that mattered to him was that it might've been the most at ease he'd felt in the last few days. And the reason for that still wasn't one he was ready to accept, so for the time being, he was just going to go with the flow. And right then, that just meant standing in his kitchen with his arms around someone they probably shouldn't be, and gently swaying side to side while Lucy eventually did all of the actual cooking.

* * *

Once dinner had been finished and Bickslow had started cleaning up most of the mess, the cupcakes had cooled and were ready to be iced. Lucy hadn't wanted anything fancy, so she'd only opted for a plain and simple vanilla icing to go with the plain and simple vanilla cupcakes.

By the time she'd finished covering each of the cupcakes in the white icing, the bench had been dirtied once again, and Bickslow couldn't help but sigh as he grabbed the cloth to wipe under the metal cooling rack and clean up the dried icing that had fallen between the cupcakes.

"You know, generally when someone makes a mess, they clean it up," he said with a glance up to the mess-maker.

"I was going to get to it eventually," Lucy shrugged.

"Were you actually?"

She nodded. "Yes," she insisted. "Once I'm done with this." And by _this_ , Lucy apparently meant the icing, and Bickslow only found himself watching in a daze as Lucy scooped up a bit of the icing from the bowl with her finger and then dipped it into her mouth.

His mouth might not have been so dry if the icing had been any other colour but white.

"You okay there?" Lucy asked with a hint of a smirk when Bickslow only continued to stare at her with his mouth hanging slightly open.

He blinked, and cleared his head as best he could. "What? Oh. Uh, yeah." _Shit, does she have any idea what that looked like?_ Bickslow was betting that she didn't, or if she did, she'd sure as hell done it on purpose.

"If you say so," she laughed, and only scooped up a little bit more of the remaining icing before dropping the mixing bowl back onto the bench to begin working on the pile of dishes in the soapy sink.

And try as he might, Bickslow seemingly couldn't do a damn thing about the stiffening length that only proved to be making his pants increasingly more uncomfortable. He wanted to ignore it, but he couldn't. Not when the only thing he seemed to be able to think about right then was how much he wanted her; though in the back of his head, _want_ didn't seem to be quite enough. He still felt as if he needed her, except just being close wasn't doing it for him.

The worst part, though, was just that Bickslow couldn't tell what _Lucy_ was thinking. He knew that she was supposed to feel just like he did; she was supposed to be feeling like she needed _him_. Yet as far as Bickslow could tell, she was perfectly fine. He was having a hard enough time standing still, and all Lucy was doing was the damn dishes.

"Hey, it's your birthday soon, right?"

And why Lucy found it necessary to ask him when his birthday was, he had no fucking clue. "Uh, yeah. In a couple of weeks," he mumbled, blinking and coming back out of his slight daze. "Why?"

Lucy shrugged. "Just wanted to see if there was anything you wanted to do for it," she said. She wasn't sure what Bickslow was planning for his birthday that year, or if he was just going to spend the day with his team and Laxus, but she wouldn't mind being able to do something with him. She liked celebrating birthdays.

Bickslow, on the other hand, didn't. He wasn't a birthdays kind of person, so it was usually just spent like every other day. Although he did have to admit he rather liked the weird presents his friends always seemed to get him.

Still, he wasn't planning anything. He would be quite happy just sitting at home and playing with Scarlett. Yet all of a sudden, an image of Lucy with nothing but a giant, bright red bow to cover her modesty was settling in the forefront of his mind, and Bickslow was realising just what he wanted for his birthday that year. Setting the damp cloth down – cleaning _really_ wasn't on his mind right then – he was moving slowly towards Lucy and then turning her away from the sink with a hand on her waist. "Well, I wouldn't mind you," Bickslow murmured.

She felt her heart start beating just a little bit faster in her chest and tried not to laugh as she became wedged between the counter and the Seith mage. "Me? What's that supposed to mean?"

"You asked what I wanted to do for my birthday," he continued. "And my answer is you." And the flush of Lucy's cheeks told Bickslow that she knew exactly what he meant.

"W-Well, I mean, it's not like it has to actually be for your birthday or anything…" Lucy mumbled awkwardly. She thought it was pretty obvious that she was into the guy, and she really assumed that Bickslow would've realised it by that point. Still, as little as she actually was opposed to sleeping with him – because really, Lucy wasn't sure if there anything to hate about it at all – she wasn't going have sex with him just _because_ it was his birthday and that was what he supposedly wanted. Sleeping with him would just be a bonus of sorts. It sure as hell wouldn't be a present, though. "And anyway," she continued as Bickslow only kept getting closer and closer and gave her no choice but to try and lean over the counter and end up arching her chest into him even further. "What makes you think you can even _have_ me?"

"Oh, I know I can't have you. I just happen to really _want_ you," he answered quickly with a smirk making its home on his mouth.

And honestly, Lucy didn't even want to ask Bickslow just what that even meant. She had an idea about it, but right then, she really wasn't interested in getting into it. "Well, you can't just say that and then not do anything," she mumbled. That was almost the equivalent of teasing her. The guy couldn't just say he _wanted_ her and then not do so much as _kiss_ her. That just wasn't fair. And there was no way Lucy could make the next move. Oh no.

Surprisingly, though, Bickslow hadn't intended to tease her. Not that time, anyway. That was just the way it had turned out. Still, he wasn't one for wasting an opportunity. Slowly sliding his hands from the edge of the bench, Bickslow only closed the last of the distance between them to just barely brush his lips over hers, and then quickly lifted Lucy up with his hands resting on her hips and set her down on a free space just next to the sink.

Lucy sighed quietly out of frustration and looked to Bickslow with a pout. "Are you going to kiss me or am I going to have to do it myself?"

"How exactly are you going to kiss yourself?" he teased. The instant flush of Lucy's cheeks made the sharp jab to his stomach from her fingers worth it.

"That's not what I—" And only then, did Bickslow finally kiss her. She wasn't even that annoyed that he'd cut her off, either. She was just glad he was finally kissing her like she'd only been wanting to do for the entire day – but of course, there was just no way Lucy would've made the first move herself. She'd been tempted to, strangely, but she'd decided against doing anything simply because she hadn't wanted to misjudge something. It was hard to tell what was going through Bickslow's head sometimes – especially then.

She lifted her arms to drape them over his shoulders as she spread her knees to accommodate Bickslow between them. Their lips moved slowly together, unhurriedly and gently – something that was surprisingly new for Bickslow, yet he couldn't seem to pull away. He felt Lucy's hand drop down from his neck and slowly glide down his chest, and he had to supress the shudder that ran through him when her hand slid up under his shirt slightly and her fingers grazed gently over his stomach.

Slowly then, Lucy slipped her hand down past the waistband of his sweatpants and into his underwear, and wrapped her fingers around the base of his shaft. The corners of her mouth pulled up into a smirk as she murmured against Bickslow's lips, "Seriously? Already?"

Bickslow shrugged. "It was the damn icing," he mumbled.

"Are you telling me you get turned on by food now?"

 _That would definitely be something._ "No, food does not turn me on, thank you very much." Or at least he was ninety-nine percent convinced that anything related to food didn't turn him on in the slightest, but Lucy just _barely_ moving her hand and squeezing him gently only seemed to have his thoughts becoming a little too jumbled up. Although still, he was utterly convinced that he wasn't turned on by food, because that would be weird. It was just apparently Lucy licking icing off her fingers that was capable of making him hard. But that in itself was just a little weird. So in his defence, and in an attempt to wipe the smirk off Lucy's lips, Bickslow just quickly leant forward again to press their lips together and then said, "The icing looked like jizz, Cosplayer."

"Oh really?" Lucy giggled mischievously. She could see it now that Bickslow had brought it up, and she certainly couldn't just drop it now. With her free hand, Lucy reached over the sink to pick up one of the vanilla cupcakes, and lifted it up to her mouth to make a point of slowly dragging her tongue across the top of the iced dessert. In her other hand, she felt Bickslow throb, and she gave another lick of the cupcake with a giggle bubbling up from within her.

"Fucking hell…"

Lucy giggled again at the almost strangled moan the Seith mage let out, and she went to lick more icing from the top of the cupcake, only to have it pried from between her fingers as Bickslow then kissed her pouting lips.

"You know what I'm thinking right now?" he hummed against her, reaching down between them to grab Lucy's wrist and pull her hand back up. "I'm thinking," he continued – he'd had no intentions of letting her actually answer, and Lucy's own quiet hum was answer enough anyway, "That I really want to fuck you right now."

"What, right here?"

He glanced around him to the kitchen before turning back to the blonde with a gentle shake of his head. Having Lucy bend over the counter for him wasn't really appealing to him right then. "Uh, no. Not here." Maybe when the kitchen was a little more clean, sure. But right then, hell no. And judging by the hint of relief on Lucy's face, Bickslow was convinced that she wasn't wanting to be getting fucked on any dirty kitchen counter right then either.

Lucy huffed a sigh as she simultaneously wound her legs around the Seith mage's waist and her arms around his neck as she was lifted from the counter. "Thank heavens for that," she giggled, and then once again had her lips pressed to Bickslow's.

He could taste the sugar from the icing on her lips and tongue, and it only proved to drive his inner sweet tooth insane and make him _crave_ Lucy even more than he already did. He could just never say no to anything sweet.

With his hands cupping her ass and her legs around his waist, he turned blindly from the kitchen and for the hall. Her fingers were sifting through his hair and tugging on it just enough for him to enjoy it, and he couldn't contain the moan that escaped his lips, only for Lucy to smother it with her own.

The bed was reached sooner than he expected, although it was by some kind of miracle he even got there at all without tripping over something or walking into something on the way. And as soon as Bickslow's legs bumped into the edge of the mattress, he was falling forwards and landing straight on top of Lucy.

Lucy only laughed as she was pressed into the soft bed and crushed beneath the Seith mage. Bickslow thankfully wasn't as heavy as Laxus, though. "God, get off me you oaf," she groaned.

Bickslow chuckled as his lips brushed against Lucy's again. "Only if you ask nicely," he murmured in return, though he only got a sigh from the woman beneath him, and that was all he'd been expecting from her. He pushed himself up just enough to keep his weight off her, and his tongue slipped past Lucy's open lips when he kissed her again.

Lucy's hands slid down over his shoulders, down his sides until her fingers were gripping the back of his shirt and tugging it up and over his head. Bickslow sat up just long enough to let Lucy get it off him, and as soon as he leant back down to occupy her lips with his own, Lucy was wrapping her legs around his waist again. The evidence of his arousal pressed firmly against her core through their clothing and she couldn't help herself from rolling her hips against him.

He didn't waste any time in beginning to move his way down, almost reluctantly leaving her soft lips just to leave a burning trail behind his lips ghosting down the side of her neck. "Has anyone ever told you…" he began to murmur, only softly kissing the small expanse of skin above the collar of her blouse that left her more than covered up for once, before sitting up quickly to slide down to be level with her waist. "That you taste like vanilla and strawberries?"

She didn't stop herself from rolling her eyes at the odd remark, and ignored the even stranger flutter in her stomach as the Seith mage's mouth quickly ghosted over the flesh beneath her navel and to the waistband of her jeans after just slightly pushing up her shirt. "You can probably still just taste the icing, you dork."

Bickslow was grinning as he appeared back above her flushed face. "But I never actually tried any of the icing myself," he pointed out, deftly unbuttoning her tight jeans before he sat up again to balance on the edge of the bed with one foot back on the ground and began to pull the material down her slender legs along with the hot pink panties that he swore had gold stars printed on them.

Lucy merely shrugged when her clothes joined Bickslow's shirt on the floor. "W-Well… You must be imagining things then," she murmured. "I really don't taste like vanilla _or_ strawberries." She wasn't even sure how that was possible, to be quite honest,

"I beg to differ," Bickslow replied, and with Lucy having spread her knees for him to situate himself between again, he was leaning back down to seal her plump lips with his own and sliding his hand back down her hip before dipping between her legs. His fingers just barely brushed against her clit before teasing her entrance and easing two into her.

She couldn't help but arch into him slightly, and was moaning into Bickslow's mouth as he pumped his fingers in and out of her pussy. Her hand followed the Seith mage's head when he moved down again and gripped his hair. Lucy hadn't even noticed that the top two buttons of her shirt had been already been undone until Bickslow was fiddling with the third with his other hand, and then she found herself torn between wanting to let Bickslow keep doing what he was doing – which was seemingly just making sure there wasn't a spot left on her chest that his lips hadn't touched – and pushing him off of her.

The latter was what Lucy found herself wanting more though, simply because she feeling just a little too impatient. Foreplay wasn't exactly appealing to her right then, even if it was usually the only thing she looked forward to when she was with someone. As far as Lucy was concerned, she could get that from anyone else she wanted; but actually enjoyable sex? For some goddamn reason, Bickslow seemed the be the only person who could give her that, and she'd be the first to admit that she did feel strangely selfish for wondering if part of the reason she liked him as much as she did right then was _because_ he was good in bed.

But still, Lucy was trying hard not to think about that, because she knew that being selfish would mean she was using him - and she sure as hell didn't think she was doing that.

When the fingers in his hair tightened and pulled him upright, Bickslow was just a little confused. But before he could question it, Lucy was pulling himself out from under him just to sit up slightly and covering his mouth with her lips, and pushing him back down onto the bed slowly.

"I want to cum with you inside me," Lucy murmured against his lips, and for a minute, Bickslow was left absolutely dumbfounded. Sometimes he was amazed at what came out of her mouth, even though the image of Lucy being as sweet, innocent, and pure as all hell had long been shattered.

"Well, in that case..." Bickslow couldn't help but chuckle, and was quickly pulling himself up to sit with his back against the pillows behind him before he worked on getting the rest of his clothes off. Lucy took the opportunity to finally get the rest of her own clothes off, and was just slipping her arms through the straps of her bra by the time she was straddling Bickslow's hips once again.

Sitting up, his chest was pressed against hers, and he couldn't resist from kissing her once again, just enough to have their lips barely brushing against each other. He was mostly focused on how even the tiniest of movements would have her rubbing against him, but he didn't once move his hands from where they rested on her hips.

There wasn't much point in staying like that though, and Lucy was standing by what she'd earlier said. With her hand on Bickslow's shoulder, she raised herself up just enough to reach down between them to line him up at her entrance. She might've had no interest in foreplay right then, but Lucy still knew she was going to have to take it slow for a few moments. And with the tip pressing against her, she was about to start slowly easing down, but then Bickslow was tensing suddenly and pushing her back just enough to have her looking back at him with an eyebrow raised in question. "What is it?"

"Wait…" He was close enough to the edge of the bed to be able to reach the nightstand on his side, and was then leaning to the side just enough pull open the top drawer and fumble around in it blindly until he came across what he was looking for and lifted it up for Lucy to see. "Uh, a condom, maybe?" he suggested.

Lucy couldn't help but instantly feel a little stupid when Bickslow held up the foil wrapper, mostly because she hated not having thought of it herself. "Oh! Right, yes. Good idea," she mumbled, moving out of the way and kneeling between Bickslow's legs as he tore the wrapper and rolled the condom on over his shaft. Considering the only form of birth control she was on was still just whatever the hell it was that was wrong with her – not that she had much faith in that after the last few weeks – Lucy couldn't see how using a condom then could be a _bad_ idea. Even then, it was really just convenient – less cleaning up after and all, and that was always nice.

With the protection on, Bickslow was tugging Lucy back up so she was sitting directly over his hips again, and then leaning back into the soft pillows and pulling her with him so there was barely any space left between them – something that Bickslow was coming to realise he loved far too much, even when he was beginning to realise the reason for that in itself.

His lips brushed up the column of her neck and to her cheek as his hand tucked the fallen strands of hair behind her ear, and he softly asked, "You good?"

Lucy only nodded silently before she was reaching down between them to take his cock in hand, and then raising herself up to begin slowly easing down on him. The moment Bickslow was completely sheathed inside her, an almost instant sense of contentment washed over her, and for a short second, Lucy's mind almost went completely blank and she couldn't even remember just what she was doing right then; all that was on her mind for that split second was that she was suddenly feeling the most tranquil and relaxed that she ever had in her whole life.

She couldn't help but drop her head to the Seith mage's shoulder. "God…" Lucy murmured. Bickslow chuckled softly and she felt his warm breath tickle her cheek.

"Nope, just Bickslow," he said, and Lucy didn't get the chance to do anything other than roll her eyes before the sound of a door slamming out in the living room was heard, followed by an unmistakable voice that had Bickslow tensing and his eyes going wide with sheer panic.

"Oi, Bix. Where are you?"

Of all the times for Laxus to let himself in, it just had to be when he was balls deep in the guy's ex-girlfriend.


	12. Apologies and Arguments

Bickslow could say with total confidence that there weren't many things in the world that scared him. But when it came to Laxus walking into his house right then, Bickslow was honestly _terrified_.

Now, as much as Bickslow wanted to just ignore the guy and just focus his attention on the attractive blonde on his lap, he really couldn't. One, he was frankly quite terrified of having Laxus actually walk into his room to see him fucking his ex, and two… He seemed to have broken a world record for losing an erection in the shortest amount of time. Laxus was a boner killer if Bickslow had ever seen one.

Naturally, the last thing Bickslow actually wanted was for Laxus to really walk in on him and Lucy, and hearing the thunder god's heavy footsteps echoing down the hall, Bickslow knew he didn't much time to… Well, to get his _dick_ out of Lucy's cunt and then try and find some clothes.

"Bix? I know you're here," Laxus called again.

Lucy groaned into Bickslow's shoulder. "Make him go away…" Laxus seemed dead set certain on ruining her sex life, it seemed – or at least that was what Lucy thought right then. First he ruined it when _he_ was the one dating her, and now he was ruining it when she was finally having sex that actually felt good (and really, part of her did want to just wrap herself around the Seith mage forever, simply because he could make her cum and she wanted to keep him, damn it!).

But still, Laxus being there? That was making Lucy _incredibly_ pissed off.

"I, uh… Yeah, I _really_ wish that was possible…" Bickslow mumbled. Laxus going the fuck away would be a goddamn blessing. But no, that wasn't going to happen. And not even Lucy stirring her hips, sighing in frustration and probably to convince him that he should try and make Laxus go away was going to work. And no matter how much Lucy wanted it to happen, no one was going to be getting fucked right then (and strangely, that didn't really have that much to do with the _little problem_ Bickslow had where he wasn't fucking hard anymore).

Well, no one was going to be getting fucked apart from _Bickslow_ , at least – just… not in the way he'd liked, not that he'd ever particularly liked being the one to be fucked in the first place, but that wasn't really the point. The point was that Laxus was about to fucking murder him. In his own home. _God, what am I going to do with Scout?_

Laxus was getting closer to the door still, so Bickslow did the only thing he could think of to slow him down and stop him from actually walking in. "Y-Yep! Just… Just give me a few minutes!" Bickslow shouted back down the hall, grimacing at the sound of his voice cracking slightly. "Just… getting changed…" He heard Laxus stop almost right outside the door, and for a second Bickslow only stared and waited for his best friend to just push the ajar door open the rest of the way and catch him balls deep in one Lucy Heartfilia.

But it didn't happen. And Bickslow let out a shaky breath when Laxus instead turned and said, "Oh. Right then." It wasn't like Laxus wanted to watch the guy get changed anyway.

Bickslow took that opportunity to turn his attention back to Lucy, right as she was admitting silent defeat to herself and separating herself from him, and then collapsing down onto the bed beside him with another groan and with a scowl on her face. God, she was just so fucking cute when she was pissed off; and had he not been completely convinced that Laxus was about to murder him, Bickslow would just be thinking that Lucy really would be the downfall of him one day.

So, leaning down just to quickly kiss the woman's forehead, Bickslow was saying, "Well, it's been nice knowin' ya, Cosplayer," and then jumping back out of bed to find some clothes and throw the condom in the trash in the bathroom. "God fucking damn it. Cock-blocking son of a bitch. Fucking _fuck_ ," he cursed under his breath while he struggled to put on his clothes without tripping over his own feet. Behind him, Lucy's scowl was as clear as day as she pulled Bickslow's sheet clean off the bed and picked up her own clothes.

Bickslow had to take a steadying breath before he finally pulled his bedroom door open and ventured into the hall. It was rather daunting, knowing he was going to meet his death soon, but he still tried his best to keep a straight face.

Laxus looked up when he heard Bickslow coming down the hall, and he put down the cupcake he'd been picking at. "Since when do you bake _cupcakes_?" he asked, bringing his thumb up to his mouth to lick the icing off his fingers one by one. It was vanilla, and almost sickly sweet.

"Uh, since today, I guess," Bickslow lied, forcing a grin as he finished pulling his shirt on over his head. "Thought I'd try something new, y'know?"

"Right…"

He cleared his throat. _Damn it. Damn it. Damn it._ "Why are you, uh… here, anyway?" Bickslow decided to ask. Considering they hadn't talked since he'd gotten drunk on Thanksgiving a week earlier and called the guy a cunt to his face (…again…), Bickslow really was wondering why Laxus was there.

Laxus made a point of looking away then as he rubbed the back of his head. He wasn't very good at apologising, so when he did do it, he didn't always know just how to go about it. Laxus was still going to try, though. "I… came to apologise."

"Apologise?" Bickslow raised an eyebrow at the Dragon Slayer. "What the fuck for? For punching me in the fucking face?" Because that, Bickslow would take an apology for. It had fucking hurt, even if he knew he'd deserved it.

"Well, yeah," Laxus mumbled. "That, and… And the rest of it."

 _The rest of it? What the hell does that mean?_ "You mean the part where you're a raging cunt most of the time?"

"Bix, I swear to god, man."

Bickslow shrugged. "Just trying to make sense of things here." He couldn't exactly forgive Laxus when he didn't really know what he was supposed to be forgiving him for.

Laxus tried hard to keep himself calm before he said something stupid. The guy was his best friend, and here we was, trying to extend an olive branch and make up for how much of a shitty friend he'd been over the last couple of months, and Bickslow was just being an asshole. Sometimes Laxus didn't know why he bothered.

It was then that Laxus noticed the small, brown leather bag sitting on the coffee table by the bookcase, and the golden and silver keys peeking out of it. And there was only one person in the whole work that Laxus knew to have that exact pouch. Suddenly, Laxus wasn't so sure he wanted to be apologising for anything.

"Is that Lucy's?" He pointed to the coffee table and watched as Bickslow's eyes widened in panic. "Is she here right now?"

 _It's fine. He doesn't know yet._ "Um… Yeah…" he mumbled. Bickslow knew there was no point in actually lying to him. He couldn't compete with Dragon Slayer sense. Besides, Lucy was always there, and Laxus knew it. It wasn't that out of the ordinary for Lucy to be there.

Except… Laxus knew that wasn't the case, and Bickslow completely gave it away when he took a step back into the table right when Laxus stepped forward. Bickslow didn't want Laxus anywhere near him right then, and Laxus already knew why. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me."

Bickslow winced. _Fuck_. _I'm dead._

He could already fucking _smell_ her on him. And quite honestly, Laxus didn't know whether to be downright pissed or just flat out confused. Truthfully though, he was both – just mostly the former. But judging by how uncomfortable Bickslow was suddenly looking, Laxus figured he already had his answer. "Of _all_ the fucking people, Bix. For fuck's sake." Laxus shook his head, taking a step back and not doing anything to hide the mask of almost disgust on his face then. "Of all the people for you to stick your dick in, and you choose _her_."

Bicksow pushed past the taller man to put some extra distance between them (quite frankly he was terrified of Laxus right then), and walked around to the kitchen instead. "Just fuck off, Laxus," he snapped.

Laxus couldn't do that, though. Oh no. He needed answers, because he was feeling pretty damn betrayed right then. "How fucking long, huh?" Laxus demanded. Bickslow made a point of pointedly ignoring him, grabbing a clean cloth from the lukewarm soapy water in the sink and beginning to wipe down the messier sections of the counters. "You going to answer me or what?"

"Nope."

"Why the fuck not? I asked you a question. Fucking answer it."

"No," Bickslow said firmly. And before Laxus could even ask why, he continued, "Because it's none of your damn business, so just back the fuck off already." He really wasn't in the mood to deal with Laxus being a jealous asshole right. Hell, Bickslow was _never_ going to be in the mood to deal with Laxus being a jealous asshole. But right then? He was most definitely not in the mood. Especially not if Laxus was going to be an insufferable prick about it.

But still, Laxus wasn't seeing eye-to-eye with Bickslow right then. And he really had no intentions of leaving until he knew just what the hell had happened. "None of my business?" He stepped around the counter, stalking up to the Seith mage just to shove his shoulder twice until Bickslow was leaning against the fridge door, and then once more as he snarled, "You made it my fucking business when you slept with her, dumbass."

And just like that, the last of Bickslow's patience dwindled down to nothing, and he just _snapped_. "Yeah? And so what if I am sleeping with her?" he began to argue, paying little attention to his word choice and just what one particular verb said. "That doesn't mean you get to come in here and be a fucking prick about it."

"Oh, yes it bloody does," Laxus laughed darkly. "You just couldn't fucking help yourself, could you? Jesus, Bix, I actually thought you were a better person. You really just jumped at the chance to fuck her, didn't you?"

"Just fuck off already." Bickslow rolled his eyes and shoved the Lightning Slayer away from himself. "Stop acting like you still own her. She's not fucking _yours_."

"And she sure as hell ain't yours either."

Bickslow couldn't help but chuckle quietly to himself, shaking his head slightly as he began hastily cleaning up again. "Oh, you have no idea how wrong you actually are…" he mumbled. And that wasn't to say that Lucy was _his_ , because he knew damn well she wasn't – and would probably never be – but she was _supposed_ to have been. She _could've_ been. And Laxus really just had no idea about any of that.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Forget it."

At the mouth of the hall, Lucy was emerging just in time to see Laxus spin Bickslow around and grab him by the collar of the shirt, stretching the fabric around his fist, and shoving him back against the counter hard enough to actually make the Seith mage wince. "Tell me what you fucking meant," Laxus demanded.

"Nothing. I meant nothing," Bickslow snapped. "So just fucking let go of me."

"Not until you tell me what you meant."

"It doesn't matter. Laxus, seriously, _let fucking go_." Not even the Thunder God himself was immune to his magic, and Bickslow was all too tempted to resort to using it right then just to get him off him.

Laxus noticeably loosened his grip then, but that did nothing for the venom that was still laced in his voice as he took a guess at what Bickslow had meant. "What, you tryin' to say you two are a _thing_ now? Is that what you meant?" he growled.

 _A **thing**?_ Hell, Bickslow had no idea what they were. But even if he did, he wasn't going to be admitting it to Laxus. "It's none of your damn concern. I thought we went through that."

"And _I_ thought we went through you being a decent enough person to _not_ fuck someone else's ex, but look where we are!" Laxus pointed out. He'd really thought it was just common sense for Bickslow to keep his dick away from Lucy. But apparently not.

And still, Bickslow just grew more tired of that conversation with each passing second. He had better things to do with his time than defend himself against something he really shouldn't need to be defending himself against at all – although admittedly, it was probably the first time that he was seeing things from Lucy's perspective: that Laxus didn't matter and he shouldn't even be worried about him in that situation.

The problem, however, was that Laxus himself didn't see it that way. And Bickslow had honestly seen it coming.

"Just stop with that already, Jesus fucking Christ, Laxus," he shouted. "You don't own her. Stop trying to act like you do."

"Why don't you take your own damn advice?"

And that was where Lucy drew the line and had to intervene. She knew how close they were (well, supposedly), and she hated seeing them at each other's throats – especially when _she_ was the reason for it. All of it was just so completely ridiculous. So, storming into the kitchen, Lucy was shouting and drawing their attention, "Hey! Both of you, stop that!" They quickly turned their heads to look down at Lucy now standing next to them; Bickslow was only relieved she was actually dressed. "You're both being goddamn idiots right now," Lucy shouted, continuing to glare up at them with her hands balled into fists at her sides. "Just stop it."

Laxus quickly let go of Bickslow and took a step back from the man. He swallowed thickly, his mouth feeling dry all of a sudden. "But—"

"No, be quiet. I don't want to hear it," Lucy interrupted. If he'd been about to come up with an excuse for being a giant ass-hat, Lucy just didn't want to know. No excuses were going to be heard that evening. But, before she could tell Laxus off (and oh, was he going to get it), Lucy was turning her attention to Bickslow beside him, still only staring down at her with a sense of terror in his wide eyes. " _You_ ," she began, narrowing her eyes at the Seith mage. "We talked about this before, Bickslow. I told you I was sick of being seen as nothing but a game to you, and I told you _not_ to be a possessive asshole."

Bickslow could honestly handle being told off right then. He knew he deserved it. All he could do was nod once, ignoring how _small_ he was suddenly feeling in front of Lucy, despite being close to a foot taller than her.

"And _you_." Lucy finally turned her attention to Laxus, just to see the smug smirk beginning to make an appearance. That just made her blood boil.

Laxus was, whether he wanted to admit or not, the sole person to blame for that situation. Everything had been damn fine until Laxus had walked in. And for the reason for that, Lucy just wasn't sure – she hadn't heard that part from down in the bedroom – but somehow, it had still ended up with those two just about ready to murder each other for something completely stupid. And right then, Lucy had quite honestly never been so disappointed in someone she'd once cared about.

And so, lifting her hand from her side, she slapped him. So hard that his head turned and Bickslow was left standing there utterly stunned and internally rejoicing with the babies that were giggling and cheering inside his head.

"You, Laxus," Lucy continued, her burning anger making even Laxus feel small alongside Bickslow. "Have absolutely _no_ right to act this way."

"But… But Bi—"

"If you don't shut your mouth, I will slap you again so hard that you actually see stars," she threatened. "And Bickslow, wipe that smirk off your mouth before I slap you too."

"Y-Yes Ma'am," Bickslow nodded. _How did she even see that? She hadn't even been looking at me!_

"Don't try and blame him for this," Lucy said. She wasn't going to defend Bickslow, not really, because he certainly hadn't been completely innocent himself. But still, she was sure as hell going to call Laxus out on his shit, because he deserved it. "You're the one that came in here and decided to be a jerk. You had no right to treat Bickslow that way, and you certainly have no right to treat me like a piece of property! And I'm sick of that! From both of you!" Admittedly, Laxus was mostly at fault for that, but even Bickslow had shown his tendency to be annoyingly possessive, and it was not a trait she found attractive in the slightest. But from Laxus, it was worse. "I am not _yours_. I'm not _Bickslow's_ either. And I don't know why it's so hard for you two to get it through your thick heads that I have never actually belonged to either of you! I'm my own goddamn person and I'd appreciate it you could both actually treat me like that!"

Laxus was, for the first time in a long time, actually speechless. And judging by how Bickslow was still silent and left almost gaping at the blonde, Laxus suspected that Bickslow was feeling the same way. Admittedly, there was a part of Laxus that was still pissed as all hell, and even more annoying, a little let down. But a much larger part of him could sort of, kind of see why Lucy was so mad at him.

He really didn't understand the entire _Bickslow_ thing – why Lucy felt the need to inadvertently defend the guy, or why Bickslow had fucked her to begin with (and why Lucy had even _let_ him). But the rest of it, where Lucy was pissed at the way he'd been treating her, and because of what he'd said about her in a way, Laxus could sort of understand. He'd been a bit of a dick. And the only reason Laxus could even admit that (at least to himself), was because he didn't want to be the kind of dick that super possessive of whoever it was he was with (or _not_ with, in Lucy's case). Even Laxus had his standards.

And when the two of them still just continued to stare at her in silence, wallowing in the remains of their precious pride, Lucy only groaned and let out a sigh of frustration as she turned on her heels to fetch her shoes and her purse. _Pathetic! The both of them!_ For all they had to say to each other, they had nothing but excuses to say to her it seemed. And so fast, her good day had gone to hell and now all Lucy wanted to do was break out that bottle of coconut rum she kept at the back of her pantry and watch _Alice in Wonderland_ to cheer herself up.

"Nothing to say? Really?" Lucy muttered under her breath, shooting one more pointed glare in their direction as she stood up, zipping her boots up as she went. "God, typical." She snatched her purse and keys off the table and stormed right out of Bickslow's house then, letting the door slam behind her on her way out.

Bickslow was still utterly speechless, though he was feeling increasingly more guilty and just plain miserable by the second. Guilty, because he was partly to blame for Lucy's anger right then. And miserable, because he seemed to be fucking up the one good thing in his life (well, apart from his kid, of course) before he'd even had a chance to really experience it.

And it was all Laxus' fault. Because everything was Laxus' fault right then. Sort of. Bickslow had to be able to blame someone _other_ than himself. It made him feel better.

But still, when Laxus just glanced back to him after the door had slammed, Bickslow only shook his head and walked around him to get on with cleaning the kitchen. "Just go. I'm not in the mood to deal with your ego," he mumbled. And he half expected Laxus to just argue with him some more, maybe tell him again just how much of a shitty best friend he'd been for getting with the guy's ex…

But he didn't. Instead, only grumbling a little bit, Laxus stormed out right after Lucy, swiping one of the vanilla cupcakes cooling on the rack on his way out. He wasn't exactly in the mood to deal with Bickslow either.

Laxus quickly caught up to Lucy outside, and Lucy sighed through her nose and shook her head before he was even walking in stride with her. "What do you want, Laxus?" she muttered.

He shrugged. "Who says I want anything?"

"Because you're following me."

"Well, sorry to break it to ya Blondie, but my apartment happens to be in this direction," Laxus said.

Lucy muttered something that not even Laxus could decipher under her breath then, and decided to just keep walking. She figured she wouldn't be shaking Laxus anytime soon.

And admittedly, his apartment being roughly in the same direction as Lucy's was _not_ the only reason Laxus had decided to walk with her. Hell, it wasn't even a reason at all. Laxus still just wanted to know what the fuck was going on, and if Bickslow wasn't going to tell him anything (not that he hadn't already), then Lucy sure as hell would. Or so Laxus hoped.

"You know, if your slap is that hard, I'd hate to be on the receiving end of one of your punches," he began, trying to get a little rise out of her. He figured it would be smarter to try and lighten her mood than just straight up ask her why the fuck she'd been stupid enough to fuck Bickslow. He also didn't think Lucy would appreciate being called stupid, either, so he was definitely going to try and avoid saying that out loud. The woman really did hit hard. Almost surprisingly hard.

Lucy scoffed. "Don't tempt me to enlighten you on what that feels like."

 _Oookay, she really is pissed._ But if joking wasn't working, then Laxus really had no other choice but to just get on with asking the serious questions, and for his own safety, he stepped away, just so Lucy couldn't turn to fucking thump him like he suspected she might if he ended up hitting a nerve. Carefully then, Laxus finally asked, "So, like… Are you two a thing now, or…"

Lucy groaned. "Why is that so important to you?" she snapped. She should've seen that coming a mile away though. Of course Laxus was going to be bugging her about that again. _Of fucking course_ he was.

"Well, because—"

"Because he's supposedly your best friend, and because _we_ dated it totally makes me _off limits_ to practically every single person you happen to be friends with, right?" Lucy finished for him.

Laxus' steps faltered for a moment and Lucy continued to storm on. She'd pretty much taken the words right out of his mouth. Although admittedly, they sounded a little stupid when someone else was saying them. "It sounds pathetic when you say it…" he mumbled.

"That's because it _is_ pathetic," Lucy said. "It makes you sound like a damn teenager. Not to mention that acting like a possessive asshole just makes you an asshole and a jerk."

He felt his face begin to burn. Lucy really wasn't holding back on calling him out. "I, uh… Um…"

"And for the love of god," Lucy continued, much to Laxus' delight since he realised he didn't even have anything to say anyway. "Who I decide to sleep with – or _not_ sleep with – is no one else's business. Stop acting like I owe anything to you, Laxus. Because I don't."

"I never said you did," he mumbled.

"You asked me if Bickslow and I were a ' _thing'_."

Laxus shrugged again. "Yeah, well, are you?"

"Jesus Christ, Laxus. Are you serious?"

"What? I wouldn't have to ask if one of you two morons would just answer the fucking question!" Honestly, it was just a yes or no answer. Laxus couldn't figure out why the two of them just couldn't straight up tell him the truth. He was almost inclined to think Lucy was fucking perfect for Bickslow at that point – she was being just as frustrating as Bickslow had been right then, just telling him that it was none of his concern. And frankly, Laxus was just sick of hearing it. "So either you are with him, or you're not. It's fucking simple, Lucy."

"I… I don't know, okay?" Lucy snapped. "And I'd appreciate it you would stop yelling at me about it!"

"…Sorry," Laxus mumbled. "But seriously… What the hell does _that_ mean?"

"It means that I don't know," she repeated softly. Lucy had no intentions of telling Laxus anything more than that, though. As far as she was concerned, she'd answered his annoying question, even if it wasn't the answer Laxus had wanted. It was the only answer she was capable of giving him anyway, because it was the truth.

She just really didn't know. Still. And it was probably bugging Laxus just as much as it bugged her that she really had no idea what the fuck Bickslow was to her – and what she was to him. It was just so… _complicated_.

Laxus clicked his tongue, shoving his hands into his pockets. Lucy's answer really hadn't been the one he'd wanted, but he had a feeling that it was all he was going to get out of her. Her answer did make it easier to assume things, though, and at that point, Laxus was almost entirely convinced that his best friend and his ex-girlfriend were at the very least sleeping together. And that… Laxus really didn't like. It was a disturbing mental image.

"Fine then," he mumbled eventually. He didn't need to be a genius to know that Lucy didn't particularly want to talk about it anymore either. Laxus could deal with Bickslow being a miserable jackass, but not so much Lucy. There was a line with Lucy, and even Laxus could admit he'd passed that line a long time ago. So, he decided to try and change the subject the little, asking, "So, how've you been then?"

Lucy couldn't help but laugh. "Really? You're asking me how I've been now?"

He shrugged, smirking as he answered, "What? We haven't really talked for ages. 'Course I wanna know how you've been."

It was true, Lucy realised. They hadn't talked lately. For the most part, it had been for Cana's sake, though. Lucy just hadn't wanted to step on her friend's toes or let her get the wrong impression, because on more than one occasion, Cana had drunkenly (unsurprisingly) blurted out that she sometimes thought Laxus was still into her – and every time, Lucy had promised that it was just so far from the truth that it wasn't even funny, because frankly, Lucy was a little convinced that Laxus hadn't even been into her in the first place, and that he'd really just wanted to fuck her and that was it.

…But then Scarlett had happened, and then _Bickslow_ had happened, and… Well, part of Lucy had been wanting to avoid Laxus because of it all as well. She hadn't been scared of him, not like Bickslow had been (and it had taken Lucy until that very evening to see just why he had been so goddamn frightened of his best friend over something so stupid), but it wasn't like Lucy had wanted to face Laxus as soon as she could. She'd known Laxus would flip and demand to know what the fuck was going on, and part of her had just wanted to be able to give him an actual answer. Like, _'yes, we're kind of a thing now,'_ or _'no, not even close to being anything other than friends.'_ She hadn't wanted to be stuck admitting that she really just didn't know. But she'd really had no choice, because the guy had fucking almost walked in on them, and damn it, Lucy was still mad at him for stopping her from getting laid.

But they hadn't talked just for the sake of talking for a while. And even if it had _mostly_ been for a good reason, Lucy didn't really like it. Even less since she was only just realising that her trying to keep her distance just so Cana and Laxus could be whatever the fuck they wanted to be was just as bad was what Bickslow had done when she'd been the one dating Laxus instead. The whole thing was pathetic.

But they were still friends, and friends were supposed to talk. So Lucy had no problem with indulging Laxus with his subject change right then. It was a good thing anyway. "I've been good," she answered with a smile. "What about you?"

"Been better."

"Are you going to tell me what that is supposed to mean?"

Laxus lifted his shoulder in half a shrug. "Oh, well, you know… Got called a cunt and an asshole by my best friend. My girlfriend decided she needed to think about just what the hell it is she wanted with me. Oh, and then I got to walk in on that same best friend fucking my ex-girlfriend," he deadpanned. "So, yeah, _been better_." Things just weren't going his way right then. It was beginning to really suck.

Lucy crossed her arms, her mouth twisting into a firm line as she glanced up to Laxus beside her. "You didn't technically walk in on anything," she muttered. "Don't be so dramatic."

"Probably came fucking close to it, right?"

"…Maybe."

"Well, at least you're not straight up denying you're fucking him," he sighed. It was better than what Bickslow had done, that was for sure.

"Oh, like you didn't already know. You wouldn't have been so pissed if you didn't assume it was true anyway."

"…That's a fair point," Laxus agreed. But still, everything going wrong in his life all of a sudden was, in fact, related to Bickslow. Bickslow was single-handedly causing everything to go wrong. And to think he'd been going to fucking apologise to the guy for how _he'd_ been acting. Laxus certainly had no intentions of doing that. Hell no.

Lucy only shook her head. She'd hoped Laxus would be able to hold a conversation without feeling the need to whine about Bickslow again, but it seemed he couldn't. She should've known better, though. "Look, Laxus," she began, sighing, "I'm tired and I'm still really not in the best mood, so if you're just going to complain, then I'd really appreciate it if you would just leave me alone right now so I can walk home in peace." Lucy really had no interest in listening to the man complain, especially not if he was going to continue acting like Bickslow was the reason for all of his problems right then (and he probably very well was, but that wasn't the point). Laxus had to take some responsibility, at least for Cana kind of breaking up with him – not that they were actually _together_ , as Lucy had heard a million times.

Laxus stopped in his tracks for a moment, Lucy walking on ahead of him with another shake of her head. He couldn't help but feel a little affronted. Lucy was supposed to be nice, damn it. Then again, as far as Laxus knew, Lucy had been spending almost all of her time with Bickslow… _The jackass has probably ruined her_ – although that thought came with a disturbing mental image and he had to supress a shudder.

But, if Lucy didn't want to hear him complain. Then fine. He wouldn't complain. He could shut up for a little while. So he caught up to her once again in just a few quick strides, lifting up his hands in mock defence as he mumbled, "Fine, no more complaining."

"Good," Lucy said.

He nudged her gently with his elbow then, getting her to look up with an eyebrow arched at him curiously. "We should hang out again some time," Laxus suggested. "Like, I dunno, get a drink or something. You still do that, right?" He wasn't very good at hanging out with people, but when he did, drinking was usually just his go-to idea. Although it had been a long time since he'd done that with Lucy, so as far as he knew, she really could've decided to stop drinking in that time. He doubted it, though. No one in their guild could remain completely sober for long.

"Do I still do that…" Lucy muttered under her breath. She scoffed. Stupid question. But… Lucy had to admit that she wasn't sure about actually taking Laxus up on his suggestion. She had a feeling that it just wouldn't be a good idea, but she wasn't sure why. "I don't know, Laxus…" she mumbled. "Are you sure that's going to be the best idea?"

"Oh, come on. It'll be like old times." Lucy cringed, and Laxus corrected himself, "'kay, not like, _old_ old times. But… We haven't done it for ages. Come on. It'll be fun."

Lucy doubted it, she really did. But… She just couldn't bring herself to say no to it. _It can't be that bad_ , she told herself. _What's the worst that can happen?_ Lucy figured that the worst thing to happen would be that Laxus starts complaining again, at which point, she'll either pack up her shit and leave, or drink so much that she doesn't even remember Laxus complaining and whining like a fourteen year old.

"Alright, fine. Sure," she said, and Laxus couldn't even help but grin just a little excitedly. "I guess we could… go get a drink or something." Admittedly, it wasn't her favourite thing to do, but she'd survive. "When did you want to?"

"Gotta leave tomorrow for a job," he said. "Should be back on the weekend, though. Saturday night, if you wanna?"

"Saturday should be fine." Assuming her own team didn't find a job to take before then. Lucy doubted that, too, though, especially since they'd just come back from one. Glancing up to him again, Lucy quietly said, "I take it Bickslow won't be going with you on this job?"

Laxus' scoff was the only answer Lucy needed, and she shook her head, letting out a quiet sigh into the cool air. She wasn't surprised Bickslow wouldn't be going with them. He probably hadn't even known that his team and Laxus would be leaving for another job anyway. And even if Bickslow had known and had wanted to go, Lucy doubted he'd want to now. Not after all that had happened with Laxus just a few minutes earlier and on Thanksgiving, too.

Lucy still wasn't too sure how she was supposed to feel knowing that she was seemingly the root cause of all of their problems.

She bid good night to Laxus then, ending their conversation and walk together before Laxus could say anymore, and then increased her pace just to make her point known to the Lightning slayer. There wasn't really anything else she could say to Laxus right then, nor was there anything else she _wanted_ to say to him.

Laxus got the message though, loud and clear, but he shrugged it off. He'd mostly gotten what he wanted out of her, and now he had the weekend to look forward to.

* * *

She visited Bickslow the next afternoon after stopping by the guild in the morning. No one seemed to bat an eye whenever she got up and announced that she was off to check on the Seith mage and Scarlett, not even Natsu. Lucy supposed it was a good thing, though, because she certainly had no intentions of telling any of her team that she'd long since stopped visiting Bickslow just because he needed help with his daughter.

When she got to Bickslow's, letting herself in as she usually did, she found herself walking into some kind of hell. Or close to it. Scarlett was screaming and crying and then crying some more, the babies were zooming around the ceiling repeating 'Scout crying!' and 'Scout angry!' over and over again, and Bickslow was standing at the end of his kitchen counter, just next to the door, with his forehead on the bench and his hands over his ears. Lucy had no idea what the hell had happened for that kind of chaos to happen. She almost didn't know where to begin.

Somehow, Bickslow managed to hear the door over all of the noise, but when he looked up and saw Lucy there, he couldn't help but groan. He really just wasn't all that glad she was there right then.

He didn't get a chance to ask her what she was doing there before Lucy shouted over the top of all the noise, "What the hell is going on here?!"

Bickslow shook his head, standing up and pointing over to where Scarlett was in her swing and giving him a headache. "She just won't _shut up_ ," he answered. "She's been crying all fucking day. I just… I can't get her to stop! I don't even know what's wrong with her!"

All he wanted was for her to just stop crying. From the moment she woke up after her morning nap, and until then, she'd been crying almost non-stop. He'd tried feeding her, only to get thrown up on. He'd tried changing her. He'd tried giving her a bath. He'd tried holding her, and he'd tried leaving her alone in her swing or in her crib to see if she was just sick of seeing his face (it wouldn't have surprised him). She'd refused to sleep, so at that point, Bickslow was almost convinced her crying was because she was just fucking cranky and tired. But still, no matter what he did, he just couldn't get her to stop. The longest she'd gone without crying was thirty minutes, and that had been before noon.

And as far as the babies went… Bickslow had lost control of them when he'd lost his sanity – again, sometime before noon.

Lucy quickly dropped her things to rush over to Scarlett. She didn't doubt Bickslow's decisions as a parent, or even him as a parent in general, but just letting her sit there screaming? That wasn't good. Lucy was sure Scarlett obviously wanted _something_.

Except before Lucy could even bend down to lift Scarlett out of the seat on the swing, Bickslow was spinning back around and shouting, "No, don't fucking touch her, Lucy."

Scarlett continued to cry, but the babies overhead fell silent in an instant, all of them slowly lowering to hover around Lucy's shoulders. Lucy jumped slightly, sucking in a sharp breath, and for the first time since she'd first met Bickslow, she found herself actually almost frightened of him. She wasn't worried that he would actually _hurt_ her, because Lucy quite honestly doubted that Bickslow even had it in him to do that. But she'd just never really seen him like that, so mad and _seemingly_ prepared to actually do something he'd probably regret later, and that was what frightened her. She just didn't know what it was she'd done to deserve it, either.

She took a step back, stopping when she bumped into one of the dining chairs. "But—"

"Stop. Just stop," Bickslow yelled. He rubbed at his forehead as he turned again, shaking his head slightly and beginning to pace. "I don't need your help, okay? She's my kid. Not yours. _I'm_ the one who needs to know how to take care of her. Just… Just fucking go. Seriously. Get out." He waved towards the door with his back still to her.

He just needed her to leave, because he just really didn't need her help. He didn't fucking _want_ it, either. Lucy was always coming to the rescue, and as honourable as her intentions had always been, and as much as he'd enjoyed it in the past, he was over it. If he couldn't even figure out why his own kid was crying so much, then what was to say he'd be able to do anything for her in the future?

It was just him. Not him and the guild, not him and his team, and certainly not him and Lucy. It was just him. And he sure as hell wasn't the type of person to let himself rely on someone else for very long. He'd relied on Lucy enough, and Bickslow just didn't want her there anymore. He needed to be able to deal with it all alone. Lucy being there for _moral support_ , or whatever it was she'd been calling it, just wasn't going to cut it, either.

Lucy just didn't know what she was supposed to say to that. She could usually deal with people yelling at her – her father had done it enough after her mother had died – but right then… Right then, she was finding it incredibly difficult to keep herself from trembling. And still, Lucy just had no idea what it was she'd done to make Bickslow so mad, or upset, or… or whatever it was that he was right then. Everything had been so perfectly fine up until the previous afternoon, what, with Laxus turning up. But Lucy didn't seem to think that Laxus was the cause for Bickslow's anger right then.

It was something else.

Sniffling slightly, and nodding to herself, Lucy only crossed her hands in front of her and slowly returned to the small sitting area at the front of the living room to collect her bag and coat that she'd dropped on the table. Two of the little totems, Pippi and Peppe as she'd learnt, flew down to nudge her stomach and her shoulder (their little way of telling her not to leave, she already knew) but she shook her head and gently pushed them back up towards the ceiling.

Lucy let the door close softly behind her, and as soon as it closed, all she could hear was the gentle whistling of the breeze and a dog barking down the street. The sound-proofing runes that Freed had set up years earlier were still doing their job.

She only made it halfway down the path before she stopped in her tracks, and looked over her shoulder back to the front door. Lucy knew she should just be leaving like he'd told her to, but she just… couldn't. His words had stung, and she wasn't going to lie and say that she was fine and that what he'd said hadn't bothered her at all – because it had hurt. But Lucy knew Bickslow well enough to know that right then, he wasn't himself. Not even close.

As soon as she turned around and began heading for the door again, she knew she was risking just making things worse and pissing him off even more, but she was going to take her chances. If it turns out that Bickslow _really_ doesn't want her help anymore, even just a little bit, then she would accept it. He was the parent, not her, and he had every right to want to do things on his own and not have to rely on anyone else. Lucy could respect that, and she could respect and acknowledge the fact that maybe… Maybe she had been doing too much for him over the last few weeks.

Still, Lucy just couldn't walk away from a screaming child whose parent was _clearly_ exhausted and just at the end of his rope. She just couldn't. She cared too much about both of them to actually do that.

So, she was storming back inside, dropping her things on the coffee table by the sofa and bookcase, and heading straight for where Scarlett was still sitting in her swing and screaming her little lungs out. And once more, Bickslow only groaned and rolled his eyes when he heard his door slam again. He'd really thought she would just go the fuck home. It was bad enough he'd had the babies fly into his head and yell at him for yelling at _her_ , but now here Lucy was, back again.

"Lucy, I swear to fucking god, I wasn't kidding when—"

Lucy had already picked Scarlett up and moved her to one arm by the time she came up before him, pushing him out of the kitchen and then pointing to the back of the house. "Just be quiet. Go and get some air, Bickslow," she commanded, shutting him up in an instant. She wasn't scared of him in the slightest. Not anymore. "Go on. Outside. Now."

He tried to argue with her all the way to the door to his backyard at the back of the lounge room. Every word he'd try to get in, Lucy would just shake her head, keep pushing him back towards the door (with the help of the babies, the damn traitors), and rudely interrupt him, telling him that she frankly didn't care what he had to say right then and that he just needed to get some fresh air and breath for a moment.

As soon as he was over the threshold, Lucy quickly slid the glass door closed and locked it, locking the man out of his own home. Bickslow banged on the door, but Lucy's only response with her back to him was to lift up one her hands and flip him off. He huffed in frustration, muttering under his breath, "Fine then!" _Rude._ Bickslow could hear the babies giggling in his head now, and he scowled as he watched them twirl merrily around Lucy's head as she made her way back to the living room where Bickslow wasn't able to stare.

He could still faintly hear Scarlett crying from his back patio, since Freed's runes extended all the way to tall fences that separated each house's back gardens, but since he'd quite literally been locked out of his own house, it wasn't like he could actually do anything about it. Bickslow did, unfortunately, have no other choice but to just let Lucy deal with his kid. Or try to, at least. Really, he doubted Lucy would be able to get her to stop crying, because if he couldn't, then there was no way she would be able to.

Looking around at the small deck, Bickslow tried to think of something to do to occupy himself. When the rest of the team and Laxus had been living there, none of them had been very fond of spending time outside, so they'd really only bought a few chairs and a table for the patio.

It was a nice day out, he realised. The sun was out for a change, and even with his sweatshirt and long pants, Bickslow still felt the winter chill in the air. He stepped down off the back deck and onto the grass, testing it to see if it was damp or just cold. He surmised _cold_ , so he lowered his other foot and then walked to the middle of the yard, before sitting down and then stretching out on his back. Bickslow could feel the warmth from the sun on his cheeks, and he let out a sigh before taking a few deep breaths.

It was so _peaceful_ out there. He could hear leaves of the trees rustling in the gently breeze, and the dog down the street barking, and even the kids at the small park behind his house playing. He couldn't hear his daughter crying anymore, although he was sure she still was, and he couldn't hear the babies being annoying little shits in his head, either. But even with the noises coming from around him, it was still peaceful. It was _quiet_. Bickslow had almost forgotten what quiet even sounded like after the day he'd had.

Peace, as it always did, let Bickslow finally think, though. He couldn't do that with Scarlett screaming. Bickslow knew that he shouldn't have said what he had. He shouldn't have shouted at Lucy the way he did. Even if it had really just been a few minutes since he had, Bickslow regretted it. He knew who Lucy was to him, or he at least had his suspicions of _what_ she really was, and that alone was enough to make him hate how he'd treated her in that moment. And even then, all she'd ever been trying to do was help. She'd done so much for her, and she'd stayed far longer than he'd ever asked her to, and Bickslow was thankful for that. He truly was. Lucy already knew that he just didn't know how he'd ever be able to thank her for everything she'd done.

Yelling at her though… Yelling at her did the opposite. Bickslow could see that now.

But admittedly, some of what he'd said, and some of what he'd thought when he'd seen her walk in the first time and he'd just fucking _flipped_ … He still meant it.

He didn't need Lucy anymore. Not really. But he'd known that for a while, and so had Lucy. Scarlett wasn't _her_ child. And as Scarlett's only parent who did actually give a shit about her, it was his job to be able to take care of her and make sure she was okay. He was the one who needed to know how to get her to stop crying when all she did was scream and cry.

Bickslow just didn't want to have to rely on anyone more than he ever needed to. Because he didn't want his daughter to grow up and think she had to rely on anyone but him. He should be able to give her everything. That was his job.

And he'd accepted that he was never going to be a perfect parent, but knowing that he'd failed to even figure out what was making his own child so upset that day was fucking terrifying to him. And he hated it. He hated that he just hadn't been able to do anything about it, no matter how hard he'd tried.

After a little while, Bickslow heard the glass door slide open, followed by the sound of Lucy presumably stepping out onto the patio, and then her softer footsteps on the grass as she came towards him. What Bickslow didn't hear, though, was any crying. He lifted his arm from where he had it shielding his eyes to see Lucy sitting down next to him, temporarily blocking the bright light as she lowered herself to the grass with Scarlett still in his arms.

Lucy pulled the small blanket she'd taken from the lounge off one of the totems and laid it out on the lawn with one hand and the help of the other babies. "Did you ever think, that maybe," Lucy began softly, crossing her legs under her and gently laying Scarlett down on her tummy in front of her. "She was just crying for the sake of it?"

Bickslow pushed himself up on his elbows, turning to look in almost stunned silence at his daughter actually not crying for a change. "She's… not screaming anymore," he mumbled.

Lucy shrugged, continuing, "Sometimes babies just cry. Doesn't mean there's necessarily something wrong. And then sometimes… They just get overwhelmed." She looked down to Scarlett looking between the cardboard book filled with almost garish and obnoxiously bold cartoons, and then around herself. She was getting better at lifting and turning her head, but she still couldn't quite push her chest up off the ground yet. She was getting there, though. "Her world is growing each day, you know. She's learning new things every day."

Bickslow slowly followed his daughter's gaze, his own eyes settling on the shady tree in the back corner and to where the canopy had shaded the back of the yard just in front of them.

"Besides," Lucy added, "She's almost eight weeks. It's pretty common for her to be getting cranky right about now."

"Uh… Why?"

"Wonder week!" Lucy answered. Bickslow gave her a blank look, and she let out a sigh. "Have you read any of the books you bought?"

"…Some of them," Bickslow mumbled. He hadn't read any of them for a couple of weeks now, though. He'd kind of just given up on them, thinking he'd just learn as he went. After the first few weeks, Bickslow had really just assumed parenting was that hard. Scarlett had proved him wrong.

Lucy shook her head. "You should really start reading them. At least some of them," she told him. Luckily for Bickslow though, she'd read some of them, mostly when she'd been letting Bickslow get some sleep. "Anyway, babies usually go through periods where they get cranky and they just cry all the time. They're called the wonder weeks, supposedly. They're like, little _leaps_ in their development that come from their brain changing and all that. It's mostly about their senses, I think. They get more control over them, and become more… aware of them, I guess."

Bickslow sat himself up and crossed his legs under himself as well, turning himself so he could pick Scarlett up and then sit her down in front of him, watching as she kept trying to look around at things. He was sure Scarlett turned straight to Lucy when she started talking again.

"But, they're still learning, and sometimes all of these new things that they realise they can do scares them. So they usually cry and just get really mad at you."

"Right… Of course…" He dropped his head to his palm and groaned into it. "I should've known all of this. Fuck me…"

Lucy shrugged. "It's not the end of the world."

"But it is. I'm just… I'm out of my depth with all of this."

"Bickslow, you're not," she whispered. "You're doing fine."

"Only because you've been fucking baby-sitting _me_ ," Bickslow scoffed. And, he was thankful for it, he was. But Bickslow knew damn well that he wouldn't even be sitting there having that conversation with Lucy at all had she not even been there for him at all. He would've given up on the whole parent thing before he'd even given his daughter a name if it hadn't been for Lucy.

Lucy leant back slightly. That was what she'd been waiting for. For Bickslow to yell at her again and make it clear that he didn't want her there anymore.

Looking down to her hands folded in her lap, she said, "I was only ever trying to help, because that was what you asked me to do. But if you really don't want it anymore, and if you really don't want me here, then fine. Just tell me." If it turns out that Bickslow really had meant what he'd said, then Lucy would accept it. But until she heard it again, she just wasn't sure.

Bickslow's head shot up. "What? No, I… I _do_ want you here," he quickly said before his hung his head again. He owed her one hell of an apology, he quickly realised. "I'm sorry," Bickslow said softly then. He let Scarlett go just so she could topple over onto the soft blanket and look up and around at things again. "For what I said before… I'm sorry. I really am. I shouldn't have said all of that. I shouldn't have shouted like I had, either."

Lucy let out a little sigh. "It's fine. I understand." She suspected he'd just been exhausted and overwhelmed, almost a little like Scarlett.

"No… You… You don't," Bickslow said. Lucy probably thought she understood it, but there was no way she could understand all of it.

"Then help me understand," she whispered. "Tell me what I'm doing wrong so I can fix it."

"You haven't done anything wrong, that's the problem."

"Then what?"

He sighed into his hands. As he'd come to learn, Bickslow had no problems telling Lucy anything, at least for the most part. She was the one person he'd never really cared about showing his weakest sides to. But even if he had no problems letting Lucy see him in his vulnerable moments, telling her that she was essentially one of the main reasons for him feeling like such a shitty parent was something else entirely.

But he couldn't lie to her, either. Especially not when she was asking him to explain it to her.

"You just… You do so much for me – for _Scout_ …" he finally began, still hiding his face in his hands. "And you have no idea how much I appreciate you for it all, I mean that… But you're just always here to… To _rescue_ me when I'm fucking everything up with her, and I shouldn't _need_ rescuing. You know so much more than I do. You… You always have the answer to everything that's wrong with her, or seem to know what she needs better than I do, and I just…" Bickslow shook his head lightly before continuing quietly, "I feel like the worst damn parent on this planet sometimes. And I really do love how much you've done, and I don't want you to forget that. But you're just… You're just so much better than me at all of this, and… And it just bugs me so fucking much sometimes."

"Oh." Lucy could only sit there for a moment, processing the words she'd just heard. She'd never thought that what she'd been doing was actually just making things worse for Bickslow. The last thing Lucy had wanted was to ever make him feel like he wasn't a good father – not that she could ever think that he was one anyway. Hell, to Lucy, Bickslow just being there at all for Scarlett was making him a good parent, because it was a whole lot better than the kid's mother. But still, Lucy had only ever been trying to help. She'd never meant to stand on his toes or make him feel like less of a parent. If Bickslow had told her sooner how she'd made him feel, then she would've made damn sure to back off. "Have you… Have you always felt like that?" she whispered.

Bickslow shrugged. "I don't know."

"I see…" Lucy mumbled. She sat forward slightly to lay a hand on Bickslow's arm, gently bringing his hand down from his face. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way though, okay? That was never my intention. I hope you know that."

"I do know," he whispered.

"You're allowed to _not_ know the answer to everything as well. Just as you're allowed to mess up occasionally, or even admit that you need a break sometimes. You're a good dad, Bickslow. Don't ever doubt yourself on that. You're Scarlett's parent, not me. And I truly am sorry that you think that I could be even _remotely_ better than you at any of this. I don't know as much as you think I do."

"You still always have the answers to things I can't figure out on my own, though…"

"Not always," Lucy said softly. "Most of the time I'm just looking at a situation through fresh eyes. You're exhausted, Bix. I know you are. You have a newborn daughter. Like I said, you're allowed to not know the answer to everything all the time. You're learning every day just as much as she is. Besides, two heads are better than one, right?"

He shrugged. "I guess."

Lucy crept forward slightly, sitting up on her knees instead, and reached forward to cup Bickslow's face between her hands. "I am capable of keeping my distance, you know. I mean, you somehow have a baby that's actually yours and is cute as all hell—"

"Hey!"

"—and I may really, _really_ love getting to snuggle with her, because seriously, she is adorable. But I can back off. If that's what you really want me to do, I can do it." She would do that for Bickslow if that was what he thought he needed, maybe just to believe in himself.

Bickslow wasn't sure if that was what he needed, though. He wasn't sure that was what he wanted, either. Maybe it was just up to him to not be so bothered by Lucy doing so much, because it was times like that, where Lucy actually talked some damn sense into him, that he really did appreciate her being there so often. And if she kept her distance, even just a little bit, he wouldn't get that from her.

But maybe that was what he needed after all. For Lucy to just remind him that he wasn't fucking up half as much as he thought he was.

"I don't know…" he finally sighed, looking back down to Scarlett still lying on the blanket in front of him and seemingly happily enjoying the sun and the birds. She was a happy baby again, and Bickslow sure as hell liked that. "Seriously though… How did you get her to stop crying so quickly?"

Lucy shrugged. "I just gave her something to look at," she answered. She hadn't really done anything, to be honest. She'd held her for a little bit and tried to calm Scarlett down that way, and then just gone and got one of her books from upstairs.

"Well, thank you."

She smiled. "You're welcome. Although… If it makes you feel any better, you've still got at least a few more days of her being fussy if it really is a 'wonder week.' You'll have plenty of opportunities to make her stop crying yourself."

Bickslow groaned into his hands again. _I have to put up with more of this crap? Am I going to sleep at all?_ The babies in his head told him no. "Fuckin' awesome," he muttered. "Maybe they should've called them _hell_ weeks." There was nothing wondrous or wonderful about a screaming infant who refused to nap and mostly didn't even want to eat.

"Oh, don't worry. It's definitely hell for you," she smirked. "The wonder is for her."

"Great…"

Lucy giggled to herself as she untucked her legs from under herself and then shifted so she could lay down on the edge of the blanket just next to Scarlett. "Don't worry," she said, stretching out on her back and crossing her ankles. "You'll be fine. I believe in you."

"At least someone does…" Bickslow mumbled. But, if Lucy believed in him, then he'd be fine.

On Scarlett's other side, Bickslow laid himself back down on the lawn so he could go back to looking up to the sky. It was still a little cloudy and a little cool, but the sun was out and shining brightly and it almost reminded him of home. "It's a nice day today," he mused.

She glanced over to Bickslow for a moment. She wondered if she should tell him about what Laxus had said to her the previous afternoon, or about how they were going out together on Saturday. Part of Lucy felt like she should tell Bickslow, but at the same time, she just wasn't sure it would be the best idea. She didn't really want to ruin afternoon. Not again, at least.

So she bit her tongue, and let out a gentle sigh before she looked back up to the same sky that all three of them seemed to be watching right then. "It really is," she eventually agreed.

* * *

Lucy had seen Laxus drunk multiple times by that point in her life. She'd learnt long before they'd even been dating that he got a little _handsy_ when he'd been drinking, so by the time he'd slung his arm around her shoulders in the booth at the bar they'd visited, and started complaining about one of her best friends right in her ear, Lucy just really hadn't been fazed by any of it. The only thing that had bothered her was that he'd insulted Cana – and apologised for it just a few seconds later – but everything else, Lucy just hadn't minded.

She'd learnt to put up with a hell of a lot from Laxus, mostly in the few months that they had been together. And for the most part, she'd only put up with all of his crap just because under all of it, he really was a good friend. He wasn't half as much of an asshole as he let everyone believe. Well, for the most part, at least.

By the end of their night though, Lucy had started to remember why she'd been so hesitant to agree to spending time with him in the first place. And it wasn't that she hadn't enjoyed herself, because she had. Until Laxus had gotten drunk and whiney, they'd actually been having an enjoyable conversation – one without any mention of ex-partners, possible partners, or just what (or _who_ ) it was they did in their spare time. It was just a normal conversation where they'd actually had a chance to catch up. And although they'd staved from talking about Bickslow (to Lucy's relief), Laxus had still wanted to know more about the guy's kid, and Lucy had been all too willing to oblige.

But… Then Lucy had started feeling guilty. Why? She had no idea. But she'd started wishing she had at least mentioned to Bickslow that she was hanging out with Laxus that night. And Lucy knew that she didn't even owe Bickslow that, because it really wasn't _anyone's_ concern who she decided to spend time with… But she'd still wished she'd told Bickslow.

Lucy just didn't like the idea of keeping things from people, and she seemed to especially dislike keeping things from Bickslow.

Laxus' apartment was closer to the bar than Lucy's, so when she'd eventually gotten sick of hearing him complain about Cana not sleeping with him anymore, she'd decided to call it a night and tell Laxus that he needed to get home and get some rest. He'd protested all the way out the door, but Lucy had persevered and done the right thing (by her standards, at least) and made sure that he got home in one piece.

Finally, they reached his apartment on the third floor of his building. When Laxus fumbled with his keys, cursing under his breath about why they were so tiny (they weren't), Lucy rolled her eyes and took them from him, trying the lock until she could find the right key. "You're a… A good person, Blondie," he slurred, struggling to keep his balance in the narrow hall as Lucy tried the keys. "Lookin' after my drunk ass."

She sighed through her nose. "That's because we're friends. Not necessarily because I'm a good person," she said. Although she liked to think she was a good person, and she always tried to be. But her being a good person wasn't the reason she was making sure Laxus was getting home. Friends looked out for each other, and even if she believed that Laxus was very well capable of looking after his own drunk ass, she still wanted to make sure. Finally, she found the right key and pushed Laxus' door open, and turned to hand his keys back to him. That was when she really became aware of how close he'd been standing – almost too close for comfort – and she had no choice but to tilt her head up slightly, just so she wasn't left staring at the collar of his purple dress shirt. "W-Wow, okay…" Lucy laughed nervously. "Didn't see you—"

"We were kinda good together, weren't we?" Laxus asked. He towered over her the same way he always did, but in the narrow hall with his hand resting on the door frame, it only made it worse.

"Us? We weren't. You know that," she said.

Laxus shook his head. "We _could've_ been, though." He knew they'd been terrible together. But they'd also never really done anything together. It was the same as with Cana. All it was, was sex. And it was fucking _boring_. Of course they didn't work when that was all there was to it. That shit _never_ worked.

"No… No, we really couldn't have been," Lucy insisted.

"Whatever," Laxus grumbled. He would disagree right then. Leaning down, he dropped his head closer to Lucy's level just so he could smirk and murmur by her ear, "But c'mon, you gotta admit we had fun…"

"Not sure what planet you were on when we were dating," she scoffed.

"Oh, don't fuckin' lie, Blondie. You know we had fun. And we could have more fun right now if you wanted to…"

"Uh, no, thank you…"

Laxus pouted. "What happened to catching up? Come on, it'll be like old times." Besides, the last time Laxus checked, neither of them were exactly attached to other people, so in his eyes, there was really no reason for them not to sleep together right then.

Lucy simply just wasn't interested though, not in any of it. She was almost amazed that Laxus was even saying any of that as well. Was he that drunk that he seriously believed she'd be willing to get into bed with him? Even without Bickslow being a factor, they'd still ended things for a good reason. They hadn't worked. Not even a little bit.

And even if they had worked out, and their break-up had really just been because they'd drifted apart or something else, Lucy still had no intentions of ever actually sleeping with him again. She'd endured six weeks of terrible, boring sex. And strangely enough, there was such a thing as _too_ big. More than once Lucy had been not-so blissfully reminded of that.

Laxus went so far as ducking down again just to try and kiss her, but Lucy had seen it coming a mile away and turned her face away just in time, holding up her hand in front of herself just to stop him. She really wasn't going down that road. "Laxus, no," she said firmly. Laxus pulled himself away slightly. "Just stop. Please. I'm really not interested."

He stepped back then, finally moving his hand back from where he'd been supporting himself on the wall. "Right, sorry…" he mumbled almost sheepishly. _Of course she's not interested._ He rubbed the back of his neck as he lifted his head, looking into his apartment and finally moving through the doorway and out of the hall. Lucy had stepped out of the way, almost making a point to keep her distance, and Laxus had to refrain from slapping his own forehead. _What was I thinking?_ He hadn't been, he realised.

Bickslow had been right with at least some of what he'd said over Thanksgiving. He didn't really know how to talk to people. And he probably had been part of the reason that him and Lucy just weren't compatible even in the slightest. It might take him a lot to actually get there, but occasionally, Laxus would admit that he was a jackass sometimes. Most of the time, even. He'd also admit that he wasn't that great at being turned down, either, but sometimes he needed it. Like right then, for instance. Because sleeping with Lucy? That would've been a bad idea. Laxus was just glad one of them had a functioning brain right then.

Lucy nodded to herself as her fingers toyed with the sleeves of her sweater. "Well, I should… You know, leave…" she said softly. She doubted saying that she'd had a good time would be worth it, because any fun she'd had that night had quickly been ruined.

"Yeah, night," Laxus mumbled. "Get home safe."

She had already rounded for the end of the short hall and the stairs by the time Laxus had closed his door and she heard the click of the lock. She carried herself quickly on her feet downstairs and then into the cool night again. With her pink apartment building in sight, Lucy finally slowed down, and for a moment, she only stood outside the front door, wondering what it was she wanted to do. A moment later, she was turning away and continuing down the street, straight past her house and instead heading for another familiar street.

Lucy was sure she was at least a little stupid by the time she was walking up the path out the front of Bickslow's house. It was late, but still not quite midnight. She almost hoped Bickslow would actually be asleep and not hear her knocking on the painted black door when she did, but it opened not a moment later, revealing the surprised and confused Seith mage. He'd only been awake to give Scarlett a bottle, and he'd been about to go back to bed. He certainly hadn't been expecting any visitors, much less ones that had a key to his house anyway.

But, Lucy didn't even give him the chance to ask anything before she was stepping forward and rising onto her toes to press her lips to his. She also didn't give herself the chance to say anything, much less let herself actually _think_.

She knew that things were complicated with Bickslow, and she hated it. Just how she hated how she was just drawn to him all the damn time. She just wanted things to be simple. She wanted to know what it was they had between them. Because whatever _it_ was, she kind of loved it.

She wanted to figure things out with him, if there was even anything to figure out. Somehow, Laxus' horrible attempts to get in bed with her again had let her realise that.

But before Bickslow could even kiss her back, Lucy was pulling away, her hands dropping back down to her sides and her warm lips separating from his own. And without a single word, she turned and walked back down the steps and onto the path, and then back out onto the street, finally taking herself home for the night.

* * *

 _ **A/Ns:** Oooo interesting. Just kidding. I don't even know anymore. Anyway! I didn't actually realise that it had been six months since I last updated this. And for that, I'm sorry. Then again, I'm also not sorry. You all know me. You know I have a lot of stories and a lot of WIPs etc. I don't have the time (or skill) to update everything every week. I wish I did, but I don't. So, thank you to everyone for actually putting up with my weird-ass updating schedules. (Lol, remember when Souls and Spirits used to be updated multiple times a week? Good times...) _

_But. Yes. This chapter. Okay, I said it was going to be a super long one, and I might've promised smut. But, next chapter. I pinky promise. I had a lot to add to this chapter, and at first I thought it was only going to be like 7-8k, but then the rest of it happened. At the same time, I know that this chapter doesn't have much, but the next chapter will hopefully make up for it. Also, since I am still pretty much a moron when it comes to all thing baby-related, please let me know if I'm writing anything wrong. Pretty much everything I write is basically just from research online. Hence, the whole 'wonder weeks' thing. Baby forums are honestly like my top source for fics like this. So if you have any advice or knowledge you wish to share, I'm all ears._

 _If anyone is curious though, the next chapter is titled "The Unexpected Visitor"._

 _Anyway, now for some other news. For those that read Shattered, my BixLu Week 2015 story, I am actually continuing that with a few one-shots. There's a little note about that on my profile. Basically, it's going to be titled "Shattered: The Lost Chapters". It will be M for one chapter, since that particular chapter fills in the gap between chapters 7 and 8 (yes, the smut). The other two will be more continuations of the epilogue, essentially. I'm super excited for this, to be honest. I've had it planned for a really long time now._

 _Also... The next chapter of Brothers, Sisters, and Unfortunate Husbands will hopefully be coming soon. It's a super cute chapter, one with lots of baby Andra and Cobra and I'm excited to start writing that one as well. And, also, in case anyone is curious about A Peculiar Situation and that cliffhanger I left it on: yes, I will be working on that again soon. I've found the motivation to do so._

 _As for the rest of my stories? Who knows. I'll update them when I update them lol. Also, if it wasn't obvious, no, this chapter was not proofed. I was just so tired and I wanted it updated. If you spot any horrible errors that actually make it difficult to read (you know, other than the odd missed word or typo), please let me know and I'll actually go through and edit this like a good writer for once. (I promise I wasn't this lazy when I first started lmao.)_

 _Anyway... Hope you liked it! (I've said that I don't want to be the person who actually asks for reviews, but seeing all of your comments for this fic in particular always make my day.) And, now, finally, the end of this super long author's note._


	13. The Unexpected Visitor

**A/Ns:** _I wasn't planning on getting this updated again for a few more months, to be perfectly honest. I love writing this story, I really do, but it's not exactly a priority for me at the moment given how many other projects I have. Despite that, I need a break from writing my BixCo Week stories, and this is what I ended up working on. It was surprisingly easy to write for the most part, so I hope you manage to make it through to the end where more slightly important notes will be._

* * *

When Lucy had been drinking, she was known for doing some pretty stupid things. It was part of the reason she didn't drink so much – that, and she just didn't really like it. But she was a lightweight, so it didn't take Lucy very much for all of her inhibitions and morals to fly right out the window.

But, that particular night, it was her lack of sobriety that had Lucy standing in a tattoo parlour with the Strauss siblings (well, Mira and Lisanna, at least) and Cana. It was somewhere around 3 a.m. the last time Lucy had seen the time, and at that hour, practically nothing was open in Magnolia. It was a little disappointing, really, especially considering how _hungry_ Lucy was – so hungry that she'd _almost_ been tempted to go and wake Bickslow up just to get him to cook her a burger or something.

Still, being drunk and hungry was how Lucy had ended up staring at possible tattoo designs. Cana had only told her to get a tattoo of a burger, she seemed to love them so much, and… Well, Lucy wouldn't deny that she loved burgers – they were her greasy, juicy comfort food – but she didn't love them so much that she was going to get one immortalised forever somewhere on her body.

She wanted _something_ immortalised forever on her body, but… Definitely not a burger. And at that point though, Lucy had already decided that she was definitely going to be getting some kind of tattoo that night; there was no better time, as far as she was concerned. She'd been thinking about getting one for a while anyway. Just something small and simple. It had to be meaningful, too, because it was going to be on her forever and she didn't want to regret it.

"What about this one, Lu?" Cana asked, pointing to a star design on one wall.

Lucy left the portfolio she was flicking through to stand next to Cana. "I don't know…" she mumbled. "I don't really want to get anything like that."

"Why not get a key?" Lisanna suggested, with Mira nodding her head sleepily on her shoulder.

Lucy shook her head. "But everyone would expect me to get something like that." And it wasn't like there was anything wrong with getting something that others would expect her to get, but she just didn't want to do that.

She only went back to the counter where the portfolio was still open and started flicking through it again. Some of the pieces in there were beautiful, Lucy had to admit that much. Even the naked witch was exquisitely done. The tattoo artist sure had talent. Still, Lucy just didn't quite know what she wanted to get done, and while she looked at all the detailed, intricate pieces on the glossy pages, she only hoped that she'd come across something that would give her a little bit of inspiration.

But it was on the next page that Lucy found her inspiration, and she looked up from the cartoon _Alice_ portrait in the ornate golden picture frame just as the tattoo artist returned from the back room with a fresh cup of coffee. "So have you decided what you want yet?" he asked tiredly, setting his mug down to wipe his glasses on the bottom of his shirt. "Otherwise I'm gonna close up and you can come back another day."

"Nope, I've decided," Lucy answered as she slammed the portfolio shut. She knew exactly what she was going to get, and she knew exactly where she wanted it.

* * *

Laxus walked into the guild that afternoon looking for Bickslow of all people. He'd stopped by his house before to go and see him just to find it empty, and since he knew full well that Bickslow wasn't taking any jobs those days, Laxus had only assumed that Bickslow would either be in the guild for a change, or actually out doing some shopping or errands or something boring like that.

He'd figured the former was more likely though, and much to Laxus' delight, the guild was in fact where he found Bickslow. He spotted him sitting with Freed and Evergreen on the far side of the guild, and so that was where Laxus headed. Bickslow fell uncomfortably silent when he spotted Laxus though, and while Freed and Evergreen didn't quite understand it, Laxus didn't blame Bickslow for falling silent. But, Laxus wasn't there to talk to Freed or Evergreen, so as he sat down on the bench opposite Bickslow, he quickly said, "You two. Go away. I need to talk to Bix."

Bickslow nodded to Evergreen when she gave him a questioning look – she at least had a suspicion of what the problem was about, or _who_ it was about more accurately. "Can you watch her for a bit?" Bickslow asked quietly when Evergreen went to gently hand Scarlett back to him. "Take her to see Mira or something."

Evergreen silently obliged, and pulling Scarlett back in against her chest, she followed Freed through the busy guild and over to the bar on the opposite side of the room.

Considering the last time Bickslow had seen Laxus was when he'd found out he was sleeping with Lucy, Bickslow really wasn't that comfortable with Laxus being there in front of him at that moment. The guy pretty much hated him, Bickslow knew that, and while he almost wished that Laxus _hadn't_ been such a dick about it all, he'd always known that things would end up that way. And it was Bickslow's own fault.

That was what he got for fucking someone he shouldn't have.

Still, as little as Bickslow actually wanted to be anywhere near Laxus right then, he was damn curious as to why he was sitting in front of him. As far as Bickslow knew, Laxus wanted fuck all to do with him. Yet here he was, sitting in front of him, and saying he needed to talk to him.

Laxus was the first to actually speak though. He really, _really_ wished he wasn't having to be there at all right then, but he knew he needed to be. He'd said and done a lot of shitty things over the past week, and he wasn't proud of that. "Look, Bix… You know I hate doing stuff like this… Apologising and all that shit…" he finally began softly, looking down at the grain pattern of the table. "But what I said before. At your house. I was out of line. I know that."

Bickslow merely raised an eyebrow at the man.

He'd had time to think over the last week. And while, sure, he was still pissed as all hell at Bickslow for doing what he'd done, and then going so far to hide it from him, Laxus knew that his reaction had been way out of line. He knew he'd had no reason to act the way he had. Lucy wasn't his, and even if she had been, that wouldn't have given him the right to act like he fucking _owned_ her. She was a human being, not someone's property.

And even then, he'd been acting like Bickslow was the only person who'd been involved, when that had been wrong. He wouldn't have been sleeping with Lucy at all if it hadn't been what _Lucy_ herself wanted. Whatever the fuck it was they were, or were doing, it hadn't been just Bickslow's doing. Yet that was basically how Laxus had been treating it.

All three of them were adults, but Laxus knew that when he'd been yelling at Bickslow like that, that he'd been acting like a child. And that… Laxus really hated.

He shook his head slightly before continuing, "I was acting like some jealous prick, and I shouldn't have, so I'm sorry for that." That was basically what it had come down to, and admitting that to himself hadn't been a proud moment. "It's got fuck all to do with me who you decide to sleep with. Just like it's got fuck all to do with you who _I_ sleep with. And… And you don't gotta tell me shit if you really don't want to, because you're right – it's none of my business most of the time. Or, any of the time, really. So, I'm sorry for all that shit I said. I was wrong, and you were right."

 _I was wrong, and you were right._ Bickslow could count on one hand the number of times he'd heard Laxus say that, and the answer was _once_. From just then. Apologising had never been Laxus' forte, and everyone knew that – the Raijinshuu especially. But when Laxus did apologise, and when he straight up said the words ' _I'm sorry,_ ' they all knew that it was because he felt absolutely godawful about something he'd done. And that was a rare occurrence for Laxus. He rarely felt regret for anything, much less actually _showed_ it.

But on the rare occasion that Laxus did apologise for something… It was usually a big thing for him. And right then, hearing Laxus apologise for all the shit that had gone down from him finding out about Lucy, Bickslow really did know how huge that was for Laxus. He wouldn't have been there at all, bothering to say any of that unless he really did mean it, and Bickslow was more than thankful for it.

He knew he'd said some shitty things too, but he was stubborn as all hell, and he also didn't think he'd _needed_ to apologise for anything he'd said. As far as Bickslow was concerned, all he'd done was defend himself. And he'd tried to defend Lucy as well, but… Well, Bickslow knew that it hadn't quite come out that way.

Still, Laxus had apologised. And that was a big fucking deal.

But… Bickslow was still Bickslow, and he couldn't quite help himself when he turned in his seat slightly and cupped his hand around his ear, leaning over the table as he said, "I'm sorry, I couldn't quite hear you… Was that an _apology_?"

"I really fucking hate you sometimes," Laxus mumbled.

Bickslow grinned. "I know you do," he said before adding softly, "But… Thank you. I, uh… I appreciate it."

Laxus shrugged a shoulder. "Kinda wish you'd at least told me before I had to fucking walk in on you two," he mumbled. "But whatever."

"Yeah, well, I knew you were going to be a dick either way. And it's not like there was anything to have told you anyway."

"Well, you could've started with that you were fucking her."

…And, well… Laxus had a point there. But still, there was no way Bickslow would've actually just gone up to his best friend and said, _'Oh yeah, by the way, I'm sleeping with your ex-girlfriend. I thought I'd let you know._ ' He would've gotten his ass handed to him if he'd done that. And now that Bickslow thought about it, he was actually kind of glad things had happened the way they had. It could've gone a whole lot worse, and Bickslow knew full well that Lucy having been there at the time was part of the reason that it hadn't been a complete disaster.

"So uh… Are you two actually like, dating or something now?" Laxus asked. He'd asked it before, but, well… Now that he'd apologised, he figured he was more likely to get an actual answer.

"Ah, no. Dating would imply that there are actual _dates_ , and… No."

"So, you're just like fuck buddies then?"

"…No."

"Then what the fuck is going on with you two?"

Bickslow shrugged. "I wouldn't have a damn clue." Or, well, it was a lie. Sort of. He had his suspicions about the entire thing and why things were the way they were, but for the most part, he really didn't know anything.

He didn't know what they were (not really), or what they were doing, or just what Lucy was hoping to get from him. He didn't know if it was just some fun or some stupid little fling (god, he really hoped not), or if whatever it was they had was something that could actually work. And he certainly didn't know just what the fuck Lucy's whole kiss-and-run thing had been about. He'd liked it, he really had. It had just thrown him for a fucking loop, and considering that was the last time Bickslow had seen her, he just had so many damn _questions_.

But, still, he didn't know how to answer Laxus' questions. Because he didn't think they were dating, but he also knew they weren't just fuck buddies. They were something more than that. Bickslow just didn't know _what_ exactly. Not completely, at least.

Laxus ran his hand down his face. He almost couldn't tell if Bickslow was actually just giving him stupid answers like that to fuck with him, or if it was because he just genuinely didn't know. Both were possible, as far as Laxus knew. But, since his first questions weren't getting him anywhere, he tried a different approach. "But you… You know, like her, right?" That was what he probably should've asked first, Laxus realised, because if he didn't like her, then he would've been no point in asking what they were.

And as far as liking her went… Well, Bickslow couldn't even deny that anymore. Because he liked her. He really fucking did. And that actually kind of scared him, especially when he thought about just why it was he probably felt the way he did in the first place.

Still… Bickslow wasn't too sure that admitting that, yes, he did really fucking like the one woman he shouldn't, was actually a good thing. Not when Laxus had just openly admitted that he was _jealous_. That was basically the last thing Bickslow had wanted to be hearing.

But even while a part of Bickslow really wanted to know just why the fuck Laxus was suddenly jealous, the rest of him was just telling himself to just straight up ignore it. Was Laxus just going to tell him that he missed Lucy? That he regretted being such a dick to her when they'd been together? Because honestly, Bickslow just didn't care. If that was the case, he'd probably just end up telling Laxus to go to hell. He'd backed off once before for Laxus' benefit, and he sure as hell wasn't going to do it again.

He wasn't looking for anyone's approval, and he certainly wasn't caring about keeping the precious Laxus happy, either. His stupid _jealousy_ be damned. "You know what? I do like her," Bickslow finally admitted. And to be honest, it felt just a little relieving to actually admit that to someone, even if that person happened to be a _Grade A_ dick who usually went by the name of his best friend. "You got a problem with that?"

Laxus shrugged. Did he have a problem with it? Kind of. But he knew he couldn't do anything about it. He'd fucked things up with Lucy, and while part of him really did wish that things had worked out just a little better, or perhaps for just a little longer, he also knew that things _hadn't_ worked out for a very good reason. Him and Lucy, they just… They had nothing in common whatsoever. And Laxus wished that they had just a few things in common. But even if they had, it still didn't change the fact that Lucy had made it more than clear that she didn't feel the same way. Laxus had realised that all too quickly when he'd woken up on Sunday morning with the memory of his stupidity the previous night.

But Lucy having well and truly moved on was reason enough for Laxus to know that he couldn't do anything. And that was fine. In truth, he wasn't entirely sure what he wanted anyway. Part of him wanted things to work with Lucy, but part of him knew it was stupid and was glad they'd been able to stay reasonably close. Part of him had wanted things with Cana to work out, too, but he was also beginning to really see why she'd called things off. What they'd been doing had really just been the same as what he'd been doing with Lucy. And, well… That had gotten him nowhere.

Still, he just couldn't do anything, other than try and figure things out for himself, and decide what it was he actually wanted. If Bickslow had a thing for Lucy, well… So be it. That just really wasn't Laxus' concern anymore and he knew it.

"I mean, I think it's weird as hell," Laxus said. "But, whatever, man. I can't stop you from liking someone. It doesn't really matter what I think though, because it's got nothing to do with me." He shrugged then. "Just… You do you, Bix."

And that… Well, that definitely wasn't what Bickslow had been expecting to hear. But he realised that it was as close to a blessing that he was ever going to get from the man. And that was a really great thing in a way, because as little as Bickslow actually cared about Laxus' feelings right then, at least as far as the ones for Lucy went, Bickslow knew he still would've felt just a little guilty for deciding to pursue whatever the fuck it was _he_ had with Lucy, if it meant Laxus was going to resent him for it.

And, maybe, Laxus still would resent him just a little bit if he really did pursue some kind of weird, actual _relationship_ with Lucy – which, really was sounding more and more appealing each day – but at the end of the day, Bickslow knew that Laxus wouldn't try to get involved and possibly ruin anything. He would, for once, actually do the adult thing and just back the fuck off. And that made Bickslow really happy.

"Well, you know, thank you," Bickslow said. He meant that, too, in a weird way. _Thanks for letting me actually like someone without feeling like a dick for it? Yeah, that works._ Still, Bickslow got the impression that Laxus cared more than he was willing to admit. He just wasn't going to let it bother him.

They both sat awkwardly in silence after that. Bickslow didn't really know what to say, and Laxus just didn't really know whether to leave or try and make conversation – although the latter had never been his strong point and everyone knew it. Still, he was making an effort those days (or that week), so Laxus did his best to seem interested in the other huge thing in his friend's life.

"So… How's the illegitimate spawn?"

* * *

Bickslow's birthday fell on December 9th. That year, he was turning twenty-four, and while he'd never really expected to be a single father to the cutest baby on the planet at that age, he didn't really mind. He was happy with his life at that point, happier than he'd honestly thought he'd ever be, and even if the last few months had been one hell of a wild ride, he just wouldn't give up any of it.

That year, Bickslow had mostly spent his day with his team, and surprisingly, Laxus. And for once, there had been zero alcohol involved. His day had been boring for the most part, not that he'd really minded, but he'd definitely gotten a kick out of seeing how fucking uncomfortable Laxus had been when he'd been holding Scarlett for all of two minutes. Seriously, Bickslow almost wanted to get a picture of the scowl he'd had on his face just to immortalise it forever.

But Lucy, on the other hand, had spent her day on a train, stuck listening to her team bicker about who got to choose the next job. Really, she couldn't have cared less at that point. She'd just wanted to go home and have a warm bath.

But it was when she'd gotten home in the middle of the afternoon, and had closed and locked her door behind her and already started getting undressed, starting with her boots, that Lucy remembered that it was Bickslow's birthday. And it wasn't like she'd forgotten that it had been coming up, because she'd been stuck thinking about just what it was she was going to get him practically every day over the last week. It was just that it had come up so quickly, and Lucy had still yet to get him a present of some sort.

She'd just had absolutely no ideas for a gift.

But… Then Lucy remembered Bickslow saying he'd wanted _her_ for his birthday. And, well… While Lucy still thought that _she_ didn't really count as a present, she'd just had nothing else to give him, so she'd ended up just going with it. And by the time she'd spent an entire hour in her bathroom contorting herself into some more than unusual positions with her favourite wild berry shave gel and a new razor, Lucy had definitely asked herself more than once just what the fuck she was doing.

The answer was apparently turning herself into an actual present for the man.

Still, even while she'd been questioning just why she was putting so much effort into the entire thing, Lucy had still been pretty excited to go and see Bickslow again. And it wasn't really because she'd get to have sex with him (which, really, was pretty great). It was really just about how she'd be able to be _around_ him, because honestly, she'd just missed him.

She still felt that dull ache in her chest every now and then, the one that just got worse the farther away she was from Magnolia and the longer she was away from Bickslow. It was nowhere near as bad as it had been before, but it was still almost always there. The only time it wasn't was when she was with him, and for the most part, Lucy just didn't even care to find out just what it was that made her feel that way. She _enjoyed_ spending time with him, and that was what mattered to her.

But, despite being excited to go and spend time with Bickslow again, by the time she was walking up the path to his house just a little after the sun had set, Lucy was still feeling like a damn fool. Bickslow was no doubt going to laugh at her, but really, that was okay.

She let herself into Bickslow's house as she usually did, pushing the door open and walking in silently to close and lock it behind herself. Bickslow merely looked up from where he sat on the lounge, legs cross under him with a book open in his hands, and he continued to watch Lucy as she only walked straight past the lounge, then the table, and then into the hall.

He'd been wondering if he'd see Lucy that day, but by the time the day had ended and the sun had gone down, he'd just assumed that it would just be yet another day where he didn't get to see her. So really, seeing her right then was just more confusing than anything, and all he could really do was sit there and wonder just what the fuck Lucy was doing.

But then, when Lucy realised that Bickslow hadn't followed her like she'd half expected him to do, she rolled her eyes and quickly walked back down the wooden hall to stick her head around the wall and wave Bickslow over. "Well, come on, then."

That just confused him even more, but he was still curious, so as he heard her disappear back down the hall again, Bickslow quickly marked the page of his book and got up to follow her.

She stood by the side of the bed with her hands in the pockets of her trench coat. Bickslow couldn't help but look her up and down quickly, and noticing the bright pink stilettos she was also wearing, he tilted his head slight and asked, "Going out somewhere?" He knew that she didn't just wear those kinds of shoes just for the sake of it.

Lucy only shook her head. "Nope. Not going anywhere." Especially not while she was wearing what she had on under her coat. She would rather die a painful death than actually go out in public again with that. It had been bad enough she'd had to walk all the way there like that.

"Oh? Then what's with the get-up?"

"Do you promise not to laugh at me?"

"…That depends on what your answer is." He couldn't guarantee anything. He never could.

Lucy let out a sigh then, and then lifted her hands from her pockets to begin untying the belt of her coat. She knew Bickslow was going to laugh at least a little bit… And, well… That was fine. She knew how ridiculous she looked.

The moment she had her coat off and revealed what she had on underneath, she felt her cheeks grow warm. "You said you wanted me for your birthday, not that I really know why, so… Here you go," she mumbled, holding her arms out before dropping them to her sides.

Bickslow had never seen anything so brilliant. He definitely couldn't keep the grin off his face as he moved just to slowly walk in a circle around Lucy. Admittedly, when he'd joked about wanting her for his birthday, he had imagined her all dressed up in some kind of ribbon, but he'd never actually expected it to happen. But there she was, standing in the middle of his bedroom, all wrapped up in the biggest ribbon he'd ever seen (or maybe it was just a long stretch of fabric cut into a wide strip, he didn't know), complete with a big, pretty bow tying it all together and keeping it on herself over her breasts.

How Lucy had actually managed to wrap herself up in the ribbon so tightly that it resembled a short, strapless dress, he had no idea.

"You know, I wasn't actually being completely serious when I said that…"

"I know you weren't, but… I couldn't think of anything to get you for your birthday, and I didn't really know what else to do."

"Cosplayer, you didn't even need to get me anything anyway." He wasn't all that fond of birthdays for the most part. They'd become just a normal day sometime around his fifteenth birthday.

"I wanted to, though. So I just…"

"So you decided to wrap yourself up and become a present," Bickslow surmised, and Lucy shrugged. Honestly, Bickslow didn't even have any problems with that. How could he? Still, he really would've been fine with Lucy showing up in _sweatpants_. It would've been a lie if he said he hadn't missed her almost constantly over the last week, so her being there at all right then was enough of a present for him. He just liked Lucy being there, whether they did anything or not.

"Basically, yeah."

Of course though, even if he didn't mind what they did when Lucy was there, he certainly wasn't going to waste the opportunity she was giving him that night. Oh no. He would enjoy his birthday present dearly that year. "So uh…" He came to stand in front of her again and tugged gently on one end of the bow, just enough to pull it slightly but not undo it. "Am I allowed to unwrap my present now?"

Lucy shrugged. "You can do whatever you want." That being said, she still would love to get the damn thing off her. It wasn't comfortable in the slightest.

"Whatever I want? That sounds promising."

"Well… Within reason, of course," Lucy mumbled. "You know… Like… Like nothing _weird_."

"Baby, you're gonna have to be a little more specific," Bickslow chuckled. Weird was subjective, after all.

Lucy looked away when she felt the heat return to her cheeks. "Just… Never mind." She really didn't want to be specific. And even then, she really only had a few things she was completely against – one was surely obvious. And the other… Well, Bickslow already knew that she wasn't a fan of being certain ways, so she didn't think she had to mention it again anyway.

"If you say so," Bickslow said with a shrug. And then, since Lucy had already said that he could do whatever he wanted (oh, he really liked that), Bickslow finally pulled on the ribbon bow enough to undo it and began to unwrap her. He found it quite amusing having to walk around her in circles just to get the damn thing off, and if he hadn't already been enjoying the whole thing, he definitely would've been by the time half of the ribbon was bundled up over his arm, because there'd been nothing on at all under it and Bickslow definitely got a kick out of knowing that Lucy had basically walked all the way to his house half naked.

By the time he had it down to her waist, Bickslow only dropped the rest of it on the ground at Lucy's feet. He figured it would be loose enough to just unravel on its own and fall the rest of the way down her legs, but he looped his hands into the silky fabric to loosen it anyway, and then watched in entertainment as the last of it finally fell away, and Lucy was left standing completely naked, except for her heels, in the middle of his bedroom.

His birthday really was turning out to be great.

But then he saw the pink and purple image on her left hip, and he crouched down slightly just to look at it for a moment before he looked back up to Lucy and asked, "Did you get a fucking tattoo?"

Lucy shrugged. She really wished Bickslow would just hurry up and do something – or tell her to do something. She was feeling more ridiculous now that she wasn't actually in her makeshift dress. Still, she'd expected it ask about her tattoo at some point once he'd seen it. "Yes," she answered.

"When the fuck did that happen?"

"On the weekend." It had really only been four days since then, but it was just beginning to scab a little bit and Lucy was doing everything she could to not pick at it. It didn't help that it itched like crazy though, especially whenever her clothes, or even just her underwear rubbed against it.

"Huh." Bickslow stood back up and stepped into the pile of ribbon in front of him, closing the last of the distance between himself and Lucy and then gently running his hands down over her arms before dipping to her waist, past her tattoo, and then down to the backs of her thighs to carefully lift her up and move to sit her down on the edge of his bed. "Well… I like it," he said, pressing just a gentle kiss to her lips before pulling back.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Probably just because it says ' _eat me'_ , right?"

"…Well, yes, there's that." He couldn't deny that it was part of why he liked it. Because, well… What _wasn't_ there to like about a girl who had a tattoo of a tiny cake that had ' _eat me'_ written on a scroll around it? She also had a decorative bottle behind it with _'drink me'_ on a similar scroll, but that wasn't the point either. Still, Bickslow liked it because he thought it was cute. _His_ tattoos weren't cute, and for the most part, he hated the ones he had. The only one he didn't wish he hadn't gotten was the one on his arm. Granted, it was also the only one he hadn't gotten as a dare or when he'd been drunk (or high). "But it's cute, too. I like it."

Lucy had to agree it was a cute. That was why she'd gotten it anyway. It hadn't ended up being anything close to meaningful, but that was okay. She was happy with the way it had turned out.

Besides, she'd had Bickslow's stupid _'blow me'_ tattoo stuck in her head the entire time anyway. Every time she thought of tattoos after first seeing it, she'd only thought of that. So really, it was basically Bickslow's fault that she'd gotten a slightly suggestive tattoo. Lucy wasn't actually going to say that, though, just like she hadn't explained it to Cana or the Strauss sisters when she'd been getting it done.

"Well, I'm glad you like it," she said drily. "Now are you going to do anything other than just kiss me? Because if not, I'm going to put some clothes on."

Bickslow let out a sigh and shook his head. "And here I was thinking you liked me kissing you," he pouted.

"I do! I do like it! I just mean… Well…" When she noticed his pout turn into another one of his mischievous grins, she only scowled and reached up to nudge his shoulder. "You're absolutely horrible sometimes," Lucy muttered.

"True, but you love it anyway so it's fine."

It was debatable, but really, Lucy wasn't exactly interested in arguing with the man. So when Bickslow leant back down to capture her lips with his own, Lucy only lifted her legs slightly to wrap them around his waist, clumsily managing to kick off her shoes as she slowly leant back to rest against the mattress.

She'd come to realise that the first moments were always the best. The very first ones that came after being apart from Bickslow for even just a short while. They were always just so… relaxing. And any concerns she did have, or might've had about him, and whether or not that she was actually stupid for wanting to spend so much time with him like that... They always disappeared instantly.

She really wasn't that sure how he'd done it, but he'd made her love it there. And she was happy there. And as much as she really did love how great the sex with him was, most of the time, she was just quite happy sitting and doing nothing with him. Even right then, there was a tiny voice in the back of her head that was saying she should just tell Bickslow that she really wasn't that interested in actually doing anything that night (which wasn't even that far from the truth since she was still tired from her job), and ask if they could just watch a movie or play with Scarlett or something. She liked just doing that.

But then the hand that had been slowly travelling back down her side dipped between their bodies and soft fingers brushed against her slit, and just like that, the little voice was gone. "Now we're getting somewhere…" Lucy hummed against Bickslow's mouth, letting out a quiet moan when his fingers circled her clit before sliding back down to tease her some more. She'd been aroused beforehand, but now that he was actually touching her, it only grew.

Bickslow could only roll his eyes before he pulled his mouth away from hers finally and he slid down to kneel on the floor. Lucy laid spread out before him, and he turned his head slightly just to press his lips to the inside of her thigh and kiss inwards towards where he kept slowly running his fingers along her folds, just barely teasing her clit or her entrance. She whimpered softly, and he could feel the muscles in her legs tensing every so often where he'd rested them over his shoulders.

She let out a surprised gasp when Bickslow finally put his mouth where she'd wanted it, and she had to remind herself not to reach for his head and press his mouth against her even more – he was ridiculously against anyone holding his head or his hair, supposedly after someone had somehow ripped out an entire section of his hair once. Instead, she only gripped the quilt that she laid on and did her best to keep her hips on the edge of the bed, too.

He kept her close to writhing with his finger moving in and out of her core and his mouth on the sensitive pearl, the tip of his tongue flicking out against it when he wasn't making a point of flattening the muscle against her and using the bar of metal in it to the best of his ability. That was the part that always had her making some kind of noise, whether it be a moan from deep in her throat or a gasp that she covered with her hand over her mouth.

That was the part Bickslow liked best though – that she only made any kind of sound if she really couldn't help it. It sounded better that way. She could be so quiet sometimes, save from her breathing, and it was refreshing, in a sense. He'd been with the kind of people who were the opposite, though. The ones who were vocal and made a point of crying out every second. And while some were just genuinely vocal and couldn't help but make how much they enjoyed whatever he was doing be heard, there were others who just did it for show, because they thought it sounded sexy or something like that. And to Bickslow, it just didn't. Especially not when he'd stopped being able to tell who was loud because they genuinely felt good, or those who were that way just because they thought it would make _him_ feel better for some stupid reason. _Feeling_ wasn't really enough to tell, and while he'd never particularly cared about hook-ups being one-sided, it had still gotten frustrating.

But when Lucy made any sound, whether it be some kind of whimper or desperate cry when he was pissing her off for going overboard with how much he toyed with her – each one was because she did genuinely enjoy it all. And it wasn't like he'd ever doubted it, because he knew that Lucy wouldn't have even bothered sleeping with him more than once if she hadn't.

Besides, he could always tell what Lucy enjoyed the most when she wasn't trying to make a point of making as much noise as possible and sounding like a damn pornstar. He knew what she liked and what she didn't like that much. And as far as the former went, Bickslow knew exactly what to expect when he pulled the digit from her core and replaced it with his tongue.

Her thighs squeezed around his head and her hips rose off the bed to try and force the lithe muscle deeper into her while she cried out with a guttural moan, " _Yes_ … F-Fuck, that's it."

Like Bickslow didn't already know that it was what Lucy had been wanting. Still, he couldn't help but find hearing her swear just a little amusing. Such filthy words from a pretty mouth sometimes. Well, they were filthy by Lucy's standards at least.

The purple tattoo on her hip caught Bickslow's attention again though. He was just a little curious about it, mostly because he'd never actually expected Lucy to get a tattoo at all, much less one that was just a little suggestive in its nature – although there was a good chance that the suggestiveness of it was really just to do with how dirty his mind was most of the time. Still, he was curious.

So he lifted his head, much to Lucy's disappointment when she quickly sat up on her elbows and made to complain, but didn't when Bickslow eased his fingers back into her core again and twisted his hand to push deeper into her. She only let out a contented moan and fell back down onto the mattress, her feet slipping down Bickslow's back when the digits curled and pressed against a sweeter spot.

Bickslow shifted on his knees to sit up higher, just so he could look at the new artwork on Lucy's hip. He thought it kind of suited her, with the pink cupcake and the fancy blue icing, and the decorative vial with the bright purple liquid. It was _cutesy_. And it was _girly_ and it was just so very _Lucy_. As suggestive as the _'eat me'_ was though, Bickslow suspected that it was really in reference to something else.

"It's _Alice in Wonderland_ , right?"

Lucy looked up again. "Hmm?"

"Your tattoo," Bickslow murmured. "It's _Alice and Wonderland_ themed, isn't it?"

"Oh." Lucy couldn't help but laugh a little nervously. She hadn't really expected Bickslow to notice that. "Uh… Yeah. It… It is."

He remembered Lucy watching it when they'd both been sick, and how she'd later said that it was just her favourite movie, but Bickslow hadn't thought she loved it so much that she'd get a _tattoo_ of it. "Why do you love it so much anyway?" he asked.

 _Is he really asking me this now?_ Lucy almost couldn't believe it. But there Bickslow was, fingering her still and asking her about her love for an animated movie. Bickslow just never ceased to amaze her.

Still, it was a question she could easily answer, despite the distraction between her legs. "I grew up watching it," Lucy finally answered, pausing for a moment to regain her senses when Bickslow thrust his fingers inside her harder and brought his mouth back down to suck harshly on the sensitive flesh. "God fucking damn it, Bix," she moaned, a shiver running through her when she felt the vibrations from his wicked laugh. "At least let me— _Oh_ , oh god…"

He lifted his head again. "You were saying?"

She wanted to curse him right then, but she wouldn't. Instead, she managed to get a breath in and tried to focus on stringing another sentence together. The growing tension in the pit of her stomach made it increasingly difficult, though. "I watched it when… When Dad was busy," Lucy continued. "Which, was always, of course. And I just— _mm_ , _yes_ —kept watching it when I had nothing else to do. And because I was always wishing that I could do everything Alice did."

Bickslow had to admit that it made sense. Well, sort of. He could see why she'd have latched onto the idea of being Alice, though. He knew enough about her childhood from what he'd heard in the guild over the years to know that she probably would've loved to have fallen down some rabbit hole just to escape the world she'd been in.

But then Lucy spoke again, surprising Bickslow for a moment when she said, "You know, I… I decided ages ago, that if I were to ever have a daughter – well, before I found out I couldn't and all – that I'd call her Alice." She'd always thought it to be such a nice name. "Or… Or maybe Ruby. I like Ruby too."

"What's with you and _red_ names?"

She gave a small shrug. Lucy didn't really think she had a _thing_ for _red_ names… But, well… Between suggesting Scarlett and now saying she probably would've called her daughter Ruby, she could see why Bickslow would ask that. "I just think they're pretty."

"Uh-huh… Sure…" Bickslow mumbled. He had to agree that they were pretty, though. But for the most part, he just thought it was a weird conversation to actually be having right then.

"Ruby Alice though…" Lucy murmured then, mostly to herself, biting her lip when Bickslow added a third finger to her core, feeling a renewed warmth on her cheeks from the wet sound of him slamming his fingers into her repeatedly. She always hated that sound. "Or m-maybe… Maybe Alice Ruby. No, I think Alice works better as a middle name with Ruby…"

Bickslow only arched an eyebrow as he peeked up from between her legs. He'd never really thought Lucy could ramble like that when she was being brought to orgasm – and definitely not ramble about _baby_ _names_ for a baby that would probably never exist – but then again, they had only been together a few times. Still, it was fucking weird, but it was also making him strangely curious to see what else she'd say, so Bickslow didn't even try stopping her.

"Ruby Alice sounds better," he offered indifferently. He wasn't particularly into the whole middle name thing, which is why he'd never bothered giving Scarlett one, but Ruby Alice was definitely better than the other way.

"Mm, it does, doesn't it?" she hummed. "Ruby Alice… Ruby Alice Heartfilia-Redf— _oh_ , oh god, B-Bickslow!" She hadn't thought she'd been that close, but between the smooth metal of the piercing flicking against her clit again and the fingers pressing against sensitive places deep inside her, she'd stood no chance of lasting much longer. She bit back a scream as she bucked her hips against the fingers still pressing inside her, and a shudder ran through her as she reached the peak of her rapture.

Bickslow's brow furrowed as he slowly drew his fingers from her cunt, slowly smoothing his other hand up and down her thigh. He'd never expected Lucy's rambling to go _there_. He stood up from where he knelt on the ground, his joints rejoicing as he made a mental note to buy a rug to put under the bed if he was going to be doing that again, and peered down at Lucy still lying in front of him, panting as she came down slowly and with her face an unflattering shade of red.

"Ruby Alice Heartfilia- _Redfarrow_ , huh?"

Lucy turned her face away as she drew her legs back together to move. "S-Shut up…" she mumbled. She hadn't exactly meant to go there, but the words had just kept flying out of her mouth. She scowled when she heard Bickslow snicker at it, mocking her, and she said, "It's your fault it's in my head anyway."

"Why is it my fault?" he asked, pulling his shirt and jumper off over his head and dropping them onto the floor at his feet before he went for his sweatpants.

"Because… Because you're the one that kept going on about all of it! Y-You know, the names and all that!" Yes, it was definitely Bickslow's fault that she couldn't seem to get the fact that she could've been married to him for over a decade at that point out of her head. It was all Bickslow's fault. Totally.

He rolled his eyes and nudged Lucy's foot before she crawled forward, settling herself on her front in the middle of the bed with her head on a pillow. "Yeah, because you naming _our_ seemingly hypothetical and non-existent daughter is totally all _my_ fault." Although admittedly, he did kind of like it… Just in a really weird, fucked up way. He was sure he'd be thinking about it at some point in the next week or so, too.

Lucy's scowl returned, but decided to let Bickslow have that one. She only watched as he reached into one of the drawers for a condom (which made Lucy glad she wasn't having to remind him again), and stroked himself a few times before rolling the rubber onto his cock and then joining her on the bed. He grabbed her hips to pull her up once he was settled behind her, and Lucy let out a little moan when she felt him rub against her slit. Thankfully, Bickslow wasn't interested in messing with her more than he already had that night, and he reached down to line himself up at her entrance before pushing in slowly.

He started off slow, her walls still stretching around him, before he sped up and drove his hips into her, the sound of skin slapping against skin heavy in the room. "God, your pussy is amazing," Bickslow groaned, staring down at where his cock disappeared into her tight centre.

Lucy moaned into the pillow, pushing her hips back against him despite her embarrassment over his words. "Don't say that…"

He couldn't help but smirk slightly to himself. _And there's her innocence again._ That was what he enjoyed seeing occasionally. Just the glimmer of how pure she really was deep down.

He continued to thrust into her roughly, holding her hip for leverage with one hand while his other hand ran down her spine to the middle of her back before pulling back and gripping her ass and digging his fingers in, momentarily leaving marks where his fingers had been. She kept her face buried in the pillow for the most part, her arms outstretched with her fingers just barely touching the headboard, but Bickslow could just make out the quiet moans and mewls she bit back. He even heard the odd curse, which only excited him further.

Lucy knew she wouldn't last as long as Bickslow would, though, and she pushed her hips back into him in time with his thrusts just to get herself to her own peak of bliss even faster. "F-Faster," she begged, and she didn't bother holding back her whimper when he started slamming into her harder than before.

Bickslow felt her tighten around his shaft, and he only slowed for a moment when she let out a strangled scream into the pillow and a curse of his name. He was chasing his own much needed release then, and with the way her pussy was gripping his cock, he knew he wouldn't be far behind.

But then, a cry that definitely wasn't Lucy's, and much more distressing, slowly came to Bickslow's ears. And Bickslow looked back to the open door just behind him as he stopped his movements.

There was no doubting it. Scarlett was up.

Bickslow groaned, only out of frustration as he debated his options. Either he try and cum as quickly as he could, or he just give up and go deal with his daughter. But, it was an easy decision, because honestly, Scarlett was more important.

"Fucking hell…" he sighed as he finally withdrew from Lucy, and climbed back off the bed. He swore he heard Lucy snicker from behind him as he pulled the rubber off and found clothes again.

First it was Laxus all but walking in on them though, and now it was his kid waking up and probably wanting to be fed – although honestly, Bickslow had been expecting it, especially since he'd only been able to get her down for a quick nap not long before Lucy had arrived, and it had been when he usually fed her. But really, Bickslow was honestly beginning to think that he wasn't ever going to get laid again. Or at least, he wasn't going to be cumming again anytime soon, not unless it was in the shower or just to his hand.

So, Bickslow went upstairs to tend to his horrible spawn, all while mentally cursing and wondering why she couldn't have just waited an extra single goddamn minute to cry. She had been hungry, as Bickslow had expected, so he only stood in the kitchen for a moment, holding Scarlett in one arm while supporting the bottle in his other. The clock on the wall by the cabinets told him that it was just about six thirty, which explained the hunger he felt since he hadn't really eaten anything all afternoon.

Bickslow quickly decided food was in order, so he pushed off the counter and headed down the hall and back to his bedroom. Lucy had already decided she was seemingly done for the night, dressed in a soft pink nighty and making herself comfortable against the pile of pillows and under the blanket. Bickslow hadn't really expected anything less, he realised, although the bag that Lucy had first walked in with suddenly made sense – she'd actually brought her own clothes.

"Can you finish feeding her?" Bickslow asked, holding Scarlett out for Lucy to hold.

"Mm-hmm!" She brought the nearly nine-week-old infant in against her chest, cradling her comfortably while she took the bottle with the formula from Bickslow. She hadn't seen Scarlett for a few days, so the cuddles were more than needed, as far as Lucy was concerned.

Bickslow scratched at the back of his head as he reached down to pick up his shirt next, pulling it over his head. "I'm gonna go make something to eat. You hungry?"

"Bix, I'm always hungry when I'm here."

He rolled his eyes. "Right, of course." How could he forget that Lucy was basically a bottomless pit when it came to his food? "Well, what do you want then?"

"Whatever you're having is fine."

"…A toasted sandwich, probably."

Lucy nodded. "Sounds perfect."

Bickslow let out a sigh before turning back to the hall. He didn't always feel the need to cook proper meals. Sometimes he just couldn't be bothered. So there was the odd occasion that all he did was make simple things like toasted sandwiches, or packet noodles and soups. He even had the odd frozen pizza – although those were honestly disgusting and he usually only had those in the middle of the night.

He made the sandwiches quickly and plated them both, making sure the stove was switched off and the cold ingredients had been put back in the fridge before went back down the hall. He had the plates balance on the babies as he climbed into bed and got himself comfortable.

"They smell amazing," Lucy said softly, picking up one half of the sandwich still balanced precariously on the flying totem. She still had Scarlett resting on her lap with the bottle, but Lucy could tell that she was getting full and wasn't going to be taking the bottle for much longer. "What's in them?"

"Ham, cheese, tomato, and onion."

"Mm, perfect." She gave a pleased hum when she took a bite of the corner, and when she noticed Bickslow staring at her with an eyebrow raised, she felt her face flush and she mumbled around the mouthful of food, "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Bickslow shook his head and turned his attention to his own sandwich. "No reason." He was just… mildly confused by it all. He got the impression that Lucy would be spending the night, and it wasn't like he had any issues with that. It was just that it was kind of weird, especially with her sitting there in his bed with his daughter on her lap, like she actually _belonged_ there. And Bickslow was inclined to think that she did.

But as weird as everything had been over the last few weeks, Bickslow still liked it all. He liked Lucy being there, and he liked watching her with Scarlett, and he liked those kinds of moments where they barely even did anything but eat dinner together. But all of it was so… domestic. But he loved that feeling. He really did.

But Bickslow wasn't going to explain any of that. He wasn't going to tell Lucy that he just loved how comfortable she was there with him and with Scarlett and just everything else – partly because he didn't want to, and partly because he just didn't think he needed to. So instead, Bickslow only found the small remote for the lacrima screen on the wall opposite the foot of his bed, and turned it on. There was bound to be something to watch.

Before long, the old, black-and-white movie they'd caught the end of was just finishing, and Scarlett was fast asleep right in the middle of the bed between the pillows and the mages. Lucy looked just about ready to fall asleep herself for whatever reason, almost completely under the covers and resting on her side, but Bickslow suspected that it was just more of a case that she was warm and comfortable and not so much _tired_.

With the credits rolling though, Bickslow only glanced back down to her before he said, "Can I ask you something?"

Lucy shrugged into the pillow. "You don't really have to ask me that, Bickslow," she said softly.

He nodded. He knew that, he did. It was just… He was mostly just still coming up with the correct way to phrase his question. He'd been thinking about it for the last week, and now that he had a chance to ask her, he almost wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer anymore. Still, he was going to ask anyway, just because there was a part of him that had never ceased to be curious about it.

"Last week," he began, sliding down further into the bed so he was level with Lucy, careful not to move one of the pillows and disturb his daughter. "When you came here in like the middle of the night…"

"Oh…" She knew where he was going with that.

"Why did you do that? Just randomly come here to kiss me and then leave, I mean," Bickslow whispered. "I'm not really complaining or anything… It was just… It was weird."

Honestly, Lucy had been expecting Bickslow to eventually bring that up, although part of her had kind of hoped he wouldn't have. In hindsight, Lucy wasn't sure if what she'd done had been the right thing (or the smart thing) to do. At the time though, it had definitely been all she'd wanted to do – to kiss him and to find out just what it was they had between them, or _could_ have been between them. And part of her still wanted that, but…

But Lucy was too scared to really say it. She was too scared to say what she wanted, just in case it ruined what she already had.

So Lucy didn't quite know what answer she was supposed to give Bickslow. She certainly couldn't tell him the entire story. But part of it she could. Or so she hoped.

She was just a little embarrassed and shy as she came to finally admit quietly, "Well I, um… I don't really know, to be honest." It wasn't even a lie, though. Lucy still wasn't too sure just what had first compelled her to visit Bickslow that late. She didn't think she'd ever know, to be perfectly honest. "I'd been out with Laxus, and I just… I don't know."

"You went out with Laxus?"

Lucy could tell by his voice that he was suddenly feeling apprehensive, and it didn't really surprise her. "It wasn't really anything," she tried to assure him, shaking her head into the pillow. "He said he wanted to just hang out and get a drink or whatever."

 _That's basically a date in Laxus' book._ "And?"

"And… I agreed to it. I didn't really want to go, but… But it wasn't that bad at first."

" _At first_ ," Bickslow mumbled. He wasn't even sure he wanted to know just what that was supposed to mean.

"He tried to get me to stay afterwards. When I wanted to make sure that he'd get home safe because he'd been drinking too much," Lucy whispered. A glance back to Bickslow meant she saw the almost scowl he was sporting. "I don't know, he somehow thought that we were good when we were together. But he was drunk, so I guess he wasn't really thinking about trying to kiss me and actually getting me to sleep with him again."

"He tried to kiss you?"

Lucy shrugged a little. "I didn't let him," she said. Although Lucy wasn't even sure why she'd felt the need to tell Bickslow any of that, now that she'd told him. It wasn't really any of his concern what had happened… Not really, at least. But part of her felt better about telling him for whatever reason – almost as if she'd been feeling guilty about it before.

"Right…" Bickslow shifted uncomfortably, turning onto his back to stare at the quiet advert for communications lacrimas now playing on the screen. "So I'm guessing that's when you came here to kiss _me_ instead."

His words were bitter, and it sounded worse when it was phrased like that. "I guess so…"

Bickslow didn't really care to rest of it, the reason as to why Lucy had come to him straight after her _not_ -date with Laxus, so he only pulled himself out of bed under the pretence of taking Scarlett up to her crib.

He didn't really know how he was supposed to feel about any of it. He didn't know how he was _allowed_ to feel, either. But he felt almost… angry. And that just made him feel kind of stupid. He probably had no right to feel that way. Lucy wasn't _his_. What she did in her time was really none of his business. If she decided to spend that time with Laxus, then Bickslow just needed to get over it.

But then he remembered the conversation with Laxus, and all that he'd said to him just a few days earlier, and Bickslow just wanted to know _why_ – why the fuck hadn't Laxus said anything about going out with Lucy? Did he even remember it? Or was he just that much of a fucking asshole that everything he'd said had actually just been complete bullshit. Honestly, right then, Bickslow expected it to be the latter.

But, Bickslow still was going to try his best not to let it bother him. He was also going to try his best to believe that his best friend wasn't going to be the dick that got in the way of things. Bickslow just wanted to be happy. He didn't want to be jealous, or pissed off at anyone, or worry about his best friend trying to get back with Lucy because he was just straight up delusional.

It still hurt, though. And why, Bickslow wasn't entirely sure. But it did, and he was going to do his best to ignore it.

When he finally got back into bed, it didn't take Lucy long to notice how unusually silent he'd become. She hoped that he wasn't mad at _her_ , but she doubted Bickslow would've told her if she'd asked anyway. But right up until she fell asleep just a few hours later, that was all Lucy worried about.

* * *

Bickslow didn't have much trouble sleeping those days. He was so tired most night that he could fall asleep almost instantly and he'd stay that way until either the babies woke him up or the _actual_ baby did.

That night though, Bickslow couldn't sleep. He'd tossed and turned the whole time, trying his best to get comfortable and to get his mind to switch off.

He'd been thinking about Lucy the whole time, though, and it had been just one stray thought that had kept him up. It was the same thought that he'd tried ignoring for weeks, the one that had him terrified of being right because he just wouldn't know what to do if he was. It was the same thought that had him turning to face Lucy sleeping peacefully beside him, and almost _wishing_ that he was right, because then everything would make sense and that was what Bickslow desperately wanted.

Part of him wished he didn't have to do what he needed to do right then, but he knew it was necessary. As terrified as he was of finding out whether or not Lucy was what he suspected she was, Bickslow knew that it was the only way to put his mind at ease – well, to some extent, at least. He just needed to know for sure.

Only watching Lucy for another moment, Bickslow let out a heavy sigh and welcomed the slight burn that came whenever he started using his magic. The pain had been near unbearable when he'd been a child, even more so considering it had taken him years to be able to use his abilities freely and whenever he wanted. But even after nearly two decades of learning it and mastering it, the slight sting he felt had never completely gone away.

When the dim room became duller than before, just as it always did whenever he used his magic to see souls, Bickslow finally let his gaze drop down from Lucy's peaceful face resting on the pillow, and to the soft yellow ball of light emanating from her chest. But that wasn't what had Bickslow feeling like he couldn't breathe. He'd seen her soul before, probably more than he cared to admit.

It was the wisps of iridescent green that fanned out around the very centre of her soul, and it was the flowing passage of light that drew out from her soul that made Bickslow feel that way. All he could do was stare down at the tendrils of yellow and green melding together, his eyes travelling down the rope until he was staring at his own soul in his own chest, with the iridescent green and just barely visible wisps of yellow surrounding it.

It was the first time Bickslow had ever seen his own soul – under normal circumstances it wasn't doable. But he was seeing it then, and he knew, that it was the perfect mirror image of Lucy's.

That was what Bickslow had been so afraid of seeing, though – Lucy's soul having a piece of his own, and that tether that bonded them together. He'd originally wished he'd been right, just because it would all make sense, but Bickslow hated that now. He wished he'd been _wrong_.

He had to escape his bedroom just to be able to breathe again, and his hands trembled as he stood in the kitchen mixing up another bottle of formula to give Scarlett since he could vaguely realise that she'd be needing to be fed again.

But with Lucy… With what he'd seen… He knew what it meant. He knew why everything had been so goddamn weird over the last few weeks too, but that wasn't even relieving to Bickslow right then. He was only scared, because he just had no idea what he was supposed to do.

Bickslow had only ever read about the tethers. He'd never doubted their existence, but he'd never expected to ever see one himself. They were rare, he knew that much – rarer than soulmates in general – and the only reason they were documented in any kind of book was because of Seith magic. If Bickslow hadn't been a Seith mage, he would've been none the wiser to all that had been going on. But he was one, and Bickslow couldn't quite tell if that was a blessing or a curse in that moment.

Still, from the few times they'd been documented by his type, Bickslow knew that there was always something that put the whole thing into motion. The tethers didn't just form on first meeting – if they had, Bickslow would've known years earlier. There was always an event that sparked the link forming, and as he sat there, with Scarlett in his arms as he sat in her purple nursery, Bickslow only desperately searched his memories for something that could've been the beginning for it all.

"The kiss," Poppo said softly.

Bickslow looked up to the babies hovering just before him. "Kiss?" he echoed. That was usually all it took, he knew that. But he didn't know which one.

"The first one," the babies chorused.

"Oh…" Bickslow remembered that one, and… It made sense. _Of course…_

He'd really just pushed it to the back of his mind. He remembered it, though, and he remembered how different everything had felt afterwards – he remembered that small jolt of energy he'd felt when he'd first kissed her, too. With everything else that had happened after that… It had just seemed meaningless to dwell on it. At the time, it had just been a kiss.

Now though, Bickslow knew it hadn't been. It had never been something so simple.

And then everything after that, from barely being able to go two days without physically feeling like he needed her, to just preferring to having her close by because it was just better that way… It had all been because of that godforsaken link forming. The closer in proximity, and the more contact there was, the faster it developed. And even now with it completely formed – or it was close to it, as far as Bickslow could tell from what he'd seen – it was really no surprise that he could barely stand to be away from Lucy for more than a few days without feeling physically uncomfortable. She held a piece of his fucking _soul_. And, granted, he now held part of hers, but still…

The design of it was that you weren't complete without the other. And how they'd even come to exist, Bickslow really had no idea. But he knew that that was the way it was for them. He'd never feel complete unless Lucy was right next to him, and Bickslow honestly hated that.

He hadn't wanted that. No one in their right mind would want that. And as appealing as some people found the _idea_ of soulmates, himself included sometimes, for those few unlucky bastards that actually met who it was they'd come to share a piece of their soul with, it was just unnecessary pain and suffering.

The worst part though, as Bickslow was realising, was that he'd known it all along. Or at the very least, he'd always suspected it. In the back of his head, he'd seemed to always know that it would be something like that, but he'd been too damn stubborn to believe it.

 _"We did tell you…"_ Pappa whispered in his head that time.

Bickslow sighed. "I know you guys did." They'd known it when he'd known it, right from that one cursed kiss. But Bickslow had just assumed they'd been fucking with him because that was just what they'd always done. It had never once occurred to him that when they'd joked about Lucy being his _soulmate_ two months earlier, that they'd just been trying to get him to see what he'd always known to be true – deep down, at least.

But Bickslow just didn't know what he was supposed to do. All he could do stare down to his daughter still with her bottle in his arms, and try his best not to think about how much he'd managed to fuck things up just by kissing Lucy that one time.

* * *

Lucy woke up to the sound of rain pelting down just outside the tall windows. She stretched her arms out above her head and her legs out under the blanket, stifling a yawn as she did. She was always an early riser, and she'd gone to bed reasonably early too so she knew that the morning was really only just beginning.

She turned to see Bickslow still asleep beside her, and a small smile crept onto her lips. _I hope he's in a better mood this morning._ She understood why he'd been so silent the night before, but that didn't mean she'd liked it. Either way, Lucy knew it wasn't something to bring up again, and luckily, she didn't think she would ever have a reason to.

Bickslow still sleeping was a problem though. Not a major one, but a problem nonetheless. She slid forward on the sheets, bringing her pillow with her, to rest closer to the Seith mage. Lucy couldn't help but giggle quietly to herself. She thought Bickslow was cute when he was asleep – there was something so childlike and innocent about him that she couldn't help but love. She almost didn't want to disturb him though, just because he looked so peaceful, but… She was hungry. She wanted food, and Bickslow owed her a breakfast in bed.

So, gently, she leant forward just to press a quick kiss to his lips. She watched as his eyelids fluttered, and she reached out to gentle trace her finger down from between his eyebrows to the tip of his nose. His nose twitched then, and Lucy had to stifle her laughter with her hand as Bickslow slowly came to.

The first thing Bickslow saw when his eyes cracked open was Lucy's smile, and then he felt her soft lips press against his for a moment and Bickslow almost forgot about everything else that had kept him up until four in the goddamn morning.

"Good morning," Lucy whispered.

Bickslow rubbed at his eyes as he slowly got used to the light filtering into the room. "Gross," he mumbled. "Can smell your breath from here."

Lucy's hand quickly flew to her mouth as her cheeks became a deep shade of pink. "S-Shut up! Yours isn't much better, by the way…" Bickslow only chuckled quietly as he pressed the side of his face back into his pillow and closed his eyes again. Lucy dropped her hand from her mouth as she scooted forward again, watching him carefully as she let her hand wander down Bickslow's side to his hip before just barely dipping her fingers into the elastic waistband of his pants. "You didn't finish last night…" she murmured. Lucy felt kind of bad for it, too.

"I know. I'm fine." His lips lifted up into a small smile for just a moment as he pulled Lucy's hand back up. "Don't worry about me."

"Are you sure?"

He gave a small nod as he opened his eyes again. Bickslow really couldn't care less about sex right then. Partly because he just really wasn't in the mood, and partly because he was still worried about how he was going to deal with the fact that the woman in front of him was, in fact his soulmate.

He still hated it, and even if he knew there wasn't really anything to be done about it now, if he could go back in time and not kiss her that first time, then Bickslow would take that opportunity. As much as he'd loved the last few weeks with Lucy, where he got to hold her and not feel weird about it and get to occasionally wake up with her right night to him, he'd gladly forget it all if it meant Lucy wouldn't always be drawn back to him whether she wanted to be or not.

That just wasn't fair on her. She should get to choose who she's with. And, Bickslow knew that there was no guarantee that they'd even end up together at all. Lucy could still end up with someone else somewhere down the track. There would just be that part of her that would always be wanting to come back to _him_. She could fight it all she wants, but nothing would change, and she'd end up miserable because of it. Bickslow didn't want that for her. He didn't care about himself in any of it. Only Lucy.

Even then, Bickslow hadn't been able to help but wonder why Lucy was even there at all. Had it all just been because she'd let herself believe she felt something that didn't even exist, that the tether forming between them had been her own feelings? Or had it all been _Lucy_ , nothing more and nothing less. Bickslow just didn't know. He didn't even know if how _he_ felt was real or not.

Bickslow wasn't really sure of anything anymore.

What he couldn't deny, though, was that he still loved seeing Lucy there right then. He loved seeing Lucy smiling at him, and as unsure as he was about everything, he was still happy in that moment. And that was a feeling he'd come to cherish so much over the last few weeks. That peace, that contentedness.

If he were to give up everything that had happened over the last few weeks with Lucy, just to make sure that things hadn't ended up like they had with an unbreakable ethereal link between them, then it would be that feeling that Bickslow would miss the most.

Still though, Bickslow really did know there was nothing he could do about it. There was no way he could go back in time and choose not to kiss her. Even then, he doubted it would've made much difference anyway. He was inclined to think that he would've done it eventually, and things would still end up being the same.

So really, what was Bickslow supposed to do when there was nothing he _could_ do? He still wasn't going to tell Lucy, at least not right then. Maybe all he could do was make the best of the situation, and hope that he hadn't completely fucked things up.

Even so, Bickslow kind of just wanted to be selfish. He didn't want to worry about why Lucy was there. He didn't want to worry about her hating him once he did tell her all of it. He didn't want to worry about Laxus, either. Bickslow just wanted to believe the best and be selfish. He wanted to enjoy what he could before everything blew up in his face.

So he was going to do just that.

Quickly then, Bickslow lifted his arm to drop over Lucy's waist and pull her closer to him, wrapping himself around her and kissing her cheek before he dropped down to do the same to her neck and then her shoulder. Her laugh was like music to his ears, and right then, Bickslow had no intentions of moving. At least not until his kid woke up, which he suspected to be soon because Scarlett seemed to be really good at ruining his moments with Lucy those days.

"What do you want to do today?" Bickslow murmured, letting his mouth ghost up to the bottom of her ear before pulling back just to rest his head on the pillow again.

Lucy didn't seem to mind that Bickslow was assuming she would spend the day there. She had no plans anyway. "I don't know." She gave a small shrug. "What do you think?"

He glanced to the window behind her and to the rain still coming down heavily. He knew they'd forecast it to rain most of the day. "It's going to be a really shitty day. Could stay in bed and watch movies with Scout."

"That sounds fantastic. But…"

"…Yes?"

"You owe me breakfast in bed first."

Bickslow sighed, but he couldn't keep the tired smirk off his face. He remembered that deal. "I do, don't I?" he hummed, and Lucy nodded. "Well, how about you decide what you want while I go get Scout up." He heard the babies telling him that she was just waking up, which means the crying would be starting any moment now and Bickslow wanted to avoid that as much as he could.

"That sounds like a plan."

"Good." He leant in to plant a quick kiss to her lips, despite his earlier protests, before rolling to climb out of bed. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

He made it up the stairs just as Scarlett started to cry. He got her changed quickly – a messier than usual task considering how fussy she'd been – and was then carrying her down the stairs to set her in the bouncer while he got the formula mixed up. Thankfully, it was done quickly, and soon, Bickslow had a happy baby getting her breakfast.

There was a knock on the door right when Bickslow had been about the head back down the hall to see if Lucy had decided on something to eat, so he only turned on his heels to go and see who was outside. It was barely past seven from what he could tell from when he'd glanced at the clock, so he'd really had no idea who to expect. But between one moment and the next, Bickslow had been opening the door to an officer in blue and a woman in a suit, and he'd had a folded letter handed to him just as his daughter had been pulled straight from his arms and taken away from him.

* * *

 **A/Ns:** _I feel as if the more comfortable I get with writing smut, the worse it actually gets, quality wise. I don't know. I really don't know._

 _Anyway. A few things to address. First of all, I get that some of my, uh... 'language' may not be the best/nicest at times, but it's what I'm comfortable using at the moment. If it offends anyone, I'm sorry. Feel free to message me if it does. I'll do my best to fix it/find more suitable alternatives that don't make me uncomfortable as a writer._

 _Secondly, yes, it is an annoying soulmate AU. Sort of. Honestly, this is one of those rare stories that I've had plotted out completely since the very beginning. This chapter had been a long time coming. I know the explanation was vague as hell for the most part, but I promise you, it does come up again in the next chapter/the one after that. I'm trying to steer away from the more cliche soulmate AU things, so I'm hoping that will become more obvious in the coming chapters. Also, yes, it was heavily hinted in like chapter five or something. The babies did, in fact, tell Bickslow multiple times._

 _And, last story-related note... The next chapter will be titled 'Home'. I'm rather excited for it._

 _Now, non-story notes. BixCo Week is in October. I'm excited for it. Super excited for it. Two of the chapter at this current point tie in with other fics/future fics, so I'm incredibly excited to write those. Also, I'm back at uni again the end of July/beginning of August, so updates will be slow/borderline non-existent for a while. Don't hate me for it. I'll be doing my best to finish off some longer one-shots, like the sequel to Sunshine, and chapters of S &S and Adventures in Step Parenting. But, I'll be busy, so I can't guarantee anything. For the most part, I'll be focusing on finishing off my BixCo Week stories so I can actually have them all posted when they're supposed to be. _

_Anyway. Reviews are always appreciate. Thank you all for 300 follows, though! Sometimes I'm not sure why this seems to be my most popular (or at least one of them) stories..._


	14. Home

_I keep updating this when I should be working on other stories (or more accurately, doing my uni work). Anyway. Since this seems to be the story you all like the most, I'm more inclined to update it. Funny how that works (sarcasm)._

 _On another note, I will just say this now: as realistic as I try to make my stories sometimes, there are some times where I just a) don't want to make things super realistic, and b) I'm not capable of doing so. The latter was the case for the whole thing with Scout/Scarlett in this chapter. While I did research on child custody, most of what I did find, I couldn't actually use. So, as far as the focus of this chapter goes, I'm not claiming any kind of realism._

 _More notes at the end of this one. For now, enjoy._

* * *

When Bickslow didn't come back to the bedroom like he'd promised to do, Lucy grew curious. She didn't worry though, because she didn't think she had any reason to. After fifteen minutes of waiting though, she pulled herself out of bed, and after quickly visiting the bathroom, she was padding quietly down the hallway to go and see what Bickslow was up to.

She expected to find him with his hands full, perhaps trying to balance Scarlett and getting her to take the bottle. But what Lucy found, was the Seith mage sitting silently on the lounge at the front of the room, his arms wrapped around his knees and his face hidden against his arms. That was when Lucy began to worry.

She crossed the room and sat down next to him, sitting on the edge of the cushion and placing a hand gently on his shoulder. "Bix? What's wrong?" she whispered. "Where's Scout?" Lucy could definitely remember hearing her cry just before, and then after Bickslow had gotten out of bed. A quick scan of the room, specifically to the empty bouncer just by the coffee table, told Lucy that Scarlett wasn't there though, and she didn't know why. The half-full bottle of formula just in front of Bickslow was just a little concerning.

"They… They took her," Bickslow said softly.

"Took her where? Who's _they_?"

Bickslow gave a small shrug. "I don't know…" He still didn't understand what had happened, even after reading the letter he'd been given in place of his daughter. He just couldn't process it. Lifting his arm slightly, he pointed to the open letter next to the bottle of formula. "I don't know what I did…" he whimpered.

Lucy reached for the unfolded piece of paper and let her eyes scan over it. The first time she read it, it didn't make any sense. The second time she read it, it still didn't make any sense. And it wasn't that she didn't understand what was written on the page, because she did. It was just that she didn't know why or how it had come to that.

She'd spent enough time with Bickslow over the last few weeks to know for a fact that he'd received no other letters regarding his custody of Scarlett. He'd had no invitations to dispute resolution meetings. And even if Bickslow had known about it – that he'd been needing to go sit in a room with family counsellors and Scarlett's birth mother to sort out some kind of custody agreement – Lucy knew that he would've told her about it. Bickslow was smart enough to know not to ignore something like that, because he was smart enough to know that ignoring it would've led to that exact situation where a social worker was forced to remove Scarlett from his custody.

"I don't understand," Lucy said. "You never got any other letters, right?"

Bickslow shook his head, sniffling as he lifted his chin to rest on his arms instead. "Not a single one." But now he wasn't so sure. He didn't check his mail every day, just because he didn't get that much to begin with, but he would've remembered something like that. "I fucked up, Lucy," Bickslow whispered. "I fucked up, and now… Now Scout's gone and I don't… I don't know what to do."

Lucy set the letter aside just so she could wrap her arms around Bickslow's shoulders. "Shhh, Bickslow, no. You didn't do anything wrong. This isn't your fault." He really hadn't done anything wrong as far as she was concerned. And the question of Scarlett's future safety that had been mentioned in the letter… Lucy just didn't know where it had come from. She _would_ say she had no idea who could even accuse Bickslow of ever harming his daughter in any way, but really, Lucy knew exactly who was causing that situation.

She didn't think that anything with Scarlett's birth mother would ever happen, not after she'd dropped Scarlett off on a doorstep at just a week old. But here they were, two months later, with Katie deciding she had the right to just change her mind about being a parent, and Lucy just didn't think that was fair. It wasn't fair on Bickslow, and it especially wasn't fair on Scarlett.

"Don't worry," Lucy whispered. "We'll get her back. We'll figure something out. I promise."

Bickslow doubted it, but he couldn't even say that. All he could do was sit there, hugging his knees to his chest, and let Lucy hold him. Although right then, not even Lucy's presence seemed to be enough to make him believe even a tiny bit that things would work out.

When the door opened a little while later, Bickslow didn't even bother looking up. He didn't particularly care to see who had let themselves into his house, and when Lucy suddenly said in surprise, "Laxus," he still didn't care. He didn't have it in him to really care about anything.

"Oh," was all Laxus said when he turned to face the two on the lounge. It wasn't at all what he'd expected to see, but even if it was obvious Lucy had spent the night there, Laxus was doing his best not to let it bother him much.

It wasn't his place to care about that anymore. Still though, it made him just a little uncomfortable.

What made Laxus curious, however, was the fact that there was no screaming child anywhere. And when Laxus finally paid attention to Bickslow, and noticed how his friend had yet to really acknowledge he was there, he grew just a little worried. Something clearly wasn't right there. "Did I miss something?" he asked almost cautiously. Bickslow looked almost… lost. And Lucy… Well, Lucy looked more worried than anything. "Where's the kid?"

"They took her," Lucy whispered.

"What do you mean? Who took her? Where?"

"Her mother. Well, I guess it was actually a social worker…" she mumbled. She didn't exactly know where Scarlett had been taken – that much obviously wasn't information Bickslow would be privy to. "They came not long ago."

"Shit, dude," Laxus said softly. He'd gone there that morning to tell Bickslow about an easy job that they could take together for the day, just to try and get the man out of the house for a little while (Laxus had assumed Lucy would look after the kid) and so they could get their friendship back to normal. Finding out that Bickslow had lost his daughter was quite literally the last thing Laxus had expected. It was even more unexpected than Lucy being there that morning. "Can you get her back? Is there anything I can do?" Because as weird as he still found the whole Bickslow-being-a-parent thing, Laxus still knew how much he cared about the spawn.

"It's in the court's hands now. A judge is going to have to decide whether or not Bickslow gets Scout back," Lucy explained. She bit her lip as she tilted her head to look at Bickslow again for a moment. She could tell he was listening and was actually aware of the conversation. Lucy supposed his silence was more to do with the fact that he just simply didn't know what to say. His world had essentially just been ripped from his hands and he hadn't had a say in it. "But the holidays are coming up, and it takes ages to get a court date… It could be months before any of it is sorted out…"

"Fuck… I'm sorry, Bix. This has gotta suck for you."

"It's fine," Bickslow finally mumbled. Lucy was more surprised than Laxus was that he'd actually spoken. When she sat back slightly, Bickslow dropped his feet to the ground to slowly stand.

"Bix, come on. You had your kid taken away. It's not fine," Laxus said. Even _he_ knew that. If it was his kid, he'd be wanting to tear the fucking town apart to find them. And as much as he wanted to be able to help Bickslow, Laxus had the smarts to know that terrorising or threatening people wasn't the way to do so.

Bickslow shrugged. "It's… It's probably for the best."

"…What?" Lucy whispered.

"I barely know how to look after her as it is. And, sure… I don't exactly want Scout's mother having her either, but… Maybe she's what's best for Scout anyway. She's her mother _._ Scout needs her more than she needs me. Or, you know, maybe she'll end up with an entirely new family and that's probably still better than me anyway because I'm—" He stopped when there was a stinging pain on his cheek from Lucy having quickly gotten up to slap him.

"No. Don't you dare say that it's for the best," she said, pointing up to his face with her pointer finger while her free hand remained at her hip. Bickslow's cheek was red from how hard she'd hit him, and while she felt bad for it, she hadn't been able to just sit there and listen to him try and convince himself that it was a good thing Scarlett had been taken from him. It wasn't a good thing, and he hadn't deserved it happening at all. "And don't you dare _think_ that you're not good enough for her. You are the one who stepped up and looked after her. You are the one who can give her everything she needs, because you'll make sure of it. I know you will. Don't you dare give up on her just because you're incapable of believing in yourself."

Bickslow couldn't lift his head to look at Lucy. If he did, he was sure he'd just see how mad she was at him, and Bickslow couldn't really deal with that right then. He knew Lucy was right though – she was always right. He was so quickly giving up on his daughter just because he didn't believe in himself. And Bickslow wished so hard that it wasn't like that, and that he actually did have faith in his ability to be a somewhat decent parent, but he just didn't know how to change that. He was always reminded of how out of his league he was with everything, that it was almost _logical_ to think that everyone but him would be a better person to raise Scarlett.

He wished it was different, but it wasn't.

And as far as actually giving up on her went… Bickslow really just didn't see a way of getting her back. No sane judge would deem him a better choice than Scarlett's birth mother. Even if she was some fucked up, drug-addicted, trailer trash hooker (which, she could very well be, as far as Bickslow knew), she would still be better than he was because she was the kid's mother, and that was something Bickslow would never be able to compete with.

So when Bickslow thought about that, he still just didn't know what to do. He didn't even know if there was anything he _could_ do.

What Bickslow did know, though, was that he didn't want to deal with anyone. He still didn't even have it in him to care why Laxus was there so early in the morning. Only lifting his head to give a small nod, Bickslow said softly, "You should probably just leave." There wasn't much point of even Lucy staying, as much as he'd wanted her to stay all day not that much earlier.

Laxus wasn't going to argue it that time, but he still waited until Bickslow had carried himself down the hall and he heard the bedroom door at the end click shut. He wanted to be some kind of help to Bickslow, but he didn't even know if it was possible. Even if there was anything he could do to actually help, Laxus doubted that Bickslow would even let him. They weren't exactly in the best place right then, even if the last time they had spoken, it had gone reasonably well.

Lucy would be able to help Bickslow though, or at least Laxus hoped so. If Laxus knew anything about what the fuck was going on with those two, it was that Lucy was the person Bickslow was letting in those days. She was the one he trusted the most for some ungodly reason. Bickslow had shown that by going to her instead of him or the rest of the Raijinshuu when he'd first found out about Scarlett.

When he looked to Lucy still standing in the middle of the room, arms wrapped around herself as she stared down the hall, Laxus knew he didn't really have anything to worry about when he said, "Get through to him, will you?" Because Lucy was the one who would be able to. And if Lucy couldn't, no one would.

Laxus was realising he had no choice but to accept that.

When Lucy gave a hesitant nod, Laxus finally let himself back out and closed the front door behind himself. _I should probably tell Freed and Ever._ They would need to know, and he doubted Bickslow would be going anywhere to tell them in person. But Freed and Evergreen were just as much Bickslow's family as he was, and even if Bickslow didn't really want – or perhaps _need_ – their help with getting Scarlett back, he would still have them there for support.

Once Laxus had left, Lucy finally moved from her spot to return to Bickslow's bedroom. She knew that he'd meant for her to leave as well, but she couldn't. She couldn't leave when Bickslow was like that. He wasn't in a good place, and if she left, she'd be constantly worrying about him, and it was easier to worry when she could actually keep an eye on him.

When she gently pushed the door open, Lucy half expected to find Bickslow trying to distract himself, maybe just cleaning up or something. She found a man-sized lump hiding under the covers in the middle of the bed instead. Lucy was almost inclined to think he was hiding from the world as she slowly walked around to the other side of the bed, but she couldn't quite tell if he was actually hiding from her, or maybe just himself.

Bickslow didn't even push her away when she lifted the covers to slide in beside him. All he did was tuck his head beneath her chin when she gently wrapped her arms back around him as best she could, and Lucy knew for certain that staying had been a good idea. She wasn't even sure if Bickslow had really meant it, now that she thought about it.

Her voice was as soft as her fingers slowly sifting through his hair as she whispered, "It's okay. We'll figure something out." That was when she heard the muffled sob break the air, and she felt something warm and wet against the top of her chest where Bickslow's face was.

"I just miss her… S-So much…"

"I know."

* * *

A letter with a court date came three days later, much to Lucy's surprise. Lucy hadn't expected them to get any word of a date for at least a few weeks, but they'd been given a date of the 20th December. Lucy liked to think that they'd been given a date so soon just because Scarlett was so young, but she knew that it wasn't that, just because there would've been countless other cases involving babies even younger. Lucy supposed it was just sheer luck instead.

Even having been given a date, Bickslow didn't get out of bed, or if he did, it wasn't for very long. Convincing him to take a shower had been a struggle. Not even getting in there with him had really worked. Getting him to eat had been the hardest part, though. He'd always just said that he wasn't hungry every time she'd told him he needed to eat something. Lucy had to give him credit for trying though, even if all Bickslow had really done was pick at anything she'd tried to give him, but it was still better than nothing – although Lucy supposed that he'd only even tried to eat just to keep her happy.

For the most part though, Bickslow still didn't really do anything. He just sat in bed doing absolutely nothing, and Lucy had gotten sick of it after just three days. She just hadn't known what to do to help him. Trying to talk about the custody case had been a complete waste of time, as Lucy had quickly realised. All Bickslow had done as far as that was concerned was tell her it didn't matter. As far as Lucy knew, he had no plans of getting any kind of lawyer to defend him, either.

"I'm not going to pay someone to lie," Bickslow had said. "No amount of money will be able to convince that judge I'm a good parent anyway."

Lucy had disagreed, but she'd had to admit that she could kind of see why Bickslow wasn't wanting to hire a lawyer, even if it had been for completely ridiculous reasons. If he got his daughter back, he wanted it to be from him telling the truth, and Lucy had understood that. Although she really didn't know how bad the _truth_ could even be, because he was a good parent and that was that.

On the fourth day though, Bickslow had told her that he didn't need her staying and keeping an eye on him. "I'm capable of taking care of myself, contrary to popular belief. I'm not going to do anything stupid either, don't worry." It had been another time Lucy had disagreed – at least as far as him doing anything stupid went – but Lucy had known better than to insist that her staying was for the best.

The guild had found out about Scarlett by the time Lucy walked in the next day and sat down with a heavy sigh. It wasn't a secret that she was the only one who was really looking after him, either, so when she sat down with her team and Gray quickly asked how Bickslow was doing, she just didn't think much of it.

"Still not really doing much," Lucy answered tiredly. "But I guess he's doing a little better."

In hindsight, it wasn't like Bickslow did have much to do. He'd spent the last two months taking care of a newborn and trying to cope with how crazy his life had quickly become. Without Scarlett, Lucy supposed that Bickslow's life was rather boring – or at least it was _now_ , with him having finally started to actually get into some kind of routine with Scarlett just before she'd been taken.

That being said, even if he was finding himself with nothing to do, he could still take care of himself a little better.

"I hope little Scarlett is being taken care of," Erza chimed in.

"Me too," Lucy agreed. She assumed Scarlett was in capable hands, but the thought that she could be being ignored or mistreated in any kind of way just made Lucy feel sick, so she tried hard not to think about it.

"I will cut down anyone who hurts her in any way."

"…Not _literally_ , right?"

"Yes, why?"

Lucy grimaced but smiled. "Maybe put a hold on that idea, Erza," she laughed nervously. Trust Erza to want to literally slice up anyone who hurts Scarlett, but still, Lucy didn't think Bickslow would appreciate it, as honourable as Erza's intentions were.

Erza hesitantly agreed with a sigh. "Fine," she said. "But if Bickslow ever requires it…"

"Hopefully it won't ever come to that…" Lucy mumbled. Quickly then, Natsu hopped up from the table with Happy taking into the air behind him. "Where are you two off to all of a sudden?" Natsu didn't move that fast unless food or fighting was involved.

"Let's find a job to do!"

"Eh? But I thought you all took one yesterday."

"We did," Gray mumbled. It had been a disaster, and they hadn't gotten a single jewel for it.

"I meant for just me and you!" Natsu said. He barely even gave Lucy a chance to argue it before he was grabbing her wrist and pulling her off the bench, dragging her through the guild towards the job board at the front. He found a perfect job flyer in no time, and ripped it off to run straight out the doors, still mostly dragging Lucy behind him.

* * *

It was cold by the pond that Natsu had taken her to, but Lucy didn't mind it much. It hadn't taken her long to realise she'd had no hope in hell of getting Natsu to change his mind about taking a job, so once she'd been dragged out of the guild, she'd really just resigned to going along with it. It had been a while since she'd taken a job with just Natsu and Happy anyway.

The job itself was simple, though, and Lucy had nothing else to do but to just sit there on the grass and enjoy the scenery. She didn't mind that much, either. The job was one Natsu could easily do on his own – catch one hundred freshwater fish and deliver them to a restaurant – and since Lucy hated fishing, she was more than happy to just go along for the ride on that one.

"So, how are you doing?" Natsu asked as he cast his reel back into the water again. He was already four fish down.

"What do you mean?" Lucy responded.

"I mean with the whole kid thing. You know, Bix losing his daughter."

"Oh... Well, I'm… I'm not really the one you should be asking about…"

"Yes you are," Natsu insisted. Everyone was always asking and wondering how Bickslow was doing, but no one asked how Lucy was doing, and considering how much time Lucy had spent with Bickslow and his kid over the last couple of months, that just didn't make sense to Natsu. Lucy had to be affected, too. "Just because you're not—wait, what's her name again?"

"Bix calls her Scout…"

"That's it! Just because you're not Scout's mum, doesn't mean you can't care about her."

"I know that…" Lucy mumbled.

"So… How are you doing?" Natsu asked again. "Because I know you care about her. It'd be weird if you didn't, to be honest, considering you've probably spent just as much time with her as Bickslow has."

So it wasn't _just_ as much as time as Bickslow had, but Lucy would admit she'd spent a lot of time with Scarlett. She didn't think that was a bad thing, though. Still, she'd never really expected anyone to ask how she was doing, but she wasn't really that important in the whole situation. "I don't know…" Lucy finally whispered, her shoulders lifting in a small shrug as she reached down to pull at the grass beside her. "I'm fine, I guess… I'm just worried…"

"How come?"

"Well... Because Bix isn't really handling it very well – he's almost given up – and I hate seeing him like that… And… And there's still a chance that he might not get Scout back, and I just don't know what that's going to do to him." Lucy didn't want to admit it, but she knew it was still possible. The judge could deem Katie the better parent, and even if it was all built on lies she'd told to get to that point, Lucy wasn't even sure if Bickslow would bother defending himself. He would probably just take it because that was what he thought he deserved.

"Why would he give up?" Natsu asked, pulling the line back up when he felt a bite on the end of it. "It's his kid."

"Because he doesn't think he's good enough for her."

"What the hell?"

"He doesn't believe in himself, Natsu…"

"But he's Bickslow. He's an arrogant prick most of the time!" Natsu pointed out. "How can he not believe he's a good dad?"

Lucy let out a sigh as she mumbled, "He's really not like that… And you know you're not much better half the time." Natsu could be arrogant when he wanted to be. Thankfully he wasn't much, but Lucy knew what he meant. Bickslow just didn't seem like the type of person to ever doubt himself. For the most part, Lucy still didn't even understand why Bickslow put himself down as much as he did when it came to being a parent.

"Ah. So _that's_ why you like him then."

"W-What? How do you—Who told you?!"

Natsu laughed as he leant to the side just to nudge Lucy's shoulder. "Come on, no one told me. It's not like it's a secret or anything," he said. Half the guild had figured it out, as far as Natsu knew, but no one really cared because they didn't have a reason to.

Lucy supposed he had a point. It wasn't like she was trying to make a point of keeping it from people – not that there really was much to keep to herself anyway, because she just _liked_ the guy. But Lucy just hadn't really expected Natsu to ever bring it up. It wasn't like she could try and deny it, though. Even if she could, there was no point. "I guess so," she mumbled. "But that's… not really why I like him."

"I know. I was just joking anyway." There was probably a whole list of reasons why Lucy liked him, or maybe there was just one reason. Either way, Natsu didn't know why Lucy did, and he didn't really care to find out what the reasons were. It didn't really have anything to do with him. "But, you know, things will work out eventually," Natsu said, mouth turning up into a reassuring smile. "Bix'll get Scout back and then you all can go back to being a happy family."

"Natsu, that's not… That's not what we are…"

"'Course it is."

"How?"

"Because everyone's family in the guild," Natsu said. "You and Bix are family, just like me and you are. And Scout's family too because she's going to grow up in the guild."

And it was another time where Natsu did have a point, but… It was still different. It wasn't as simple as Natsu said it was. The worst part was that Lucy almost felt like she _did_ have her own little family with Bickslow and Scarlett, and not just because they were part of Fairy Tail.

* * *

With croissants and hot chocolates in her hands, Lucy let herself into Bickslow's house as she usually did. It had been a few days since she'd last seen him, so she was hoping to find the Seith mage in a slightly better mood. When she walked in, she didn't see any dishes out in the kitchen, so she assumed he still wasn't eating much. That was why she'd brought something for him, though.

The babies greeted her as soon as she got the door shut and set the food and drinks down just so she could shrug off her coat. "Cosplayer! Cosplayer!"

She giggled as Poppo nuzzled her cheek. "Good morning, babies. Where's Bi—o-oh, okay! I'm going!" Three of them flew behind her to press against her back, pushing her forward once she'd picked up the tray again. They pushed her to the stairs and gave her a nudge to get her to finally start climbing them. She supposed the babies wanting her to go upstairs meant Bickslow was up there, so before she reached the top, she called out, "Bix? Where are you?"

Lucy got no response, but it didn't matter because the first room she checked, Scarlett's room, ended up being where she found him anyway, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor and folding and sorting all of Scarlett's clothes. Bickslow barely even acknowledged her presence, only sparing her a glance when she walked in. It wasn't like he hadn't known she was there. The babies had given that away when they'd rushed downstairs.

"What… What are you doing?" Lucy asked. She wanted to think it was a good thing that Bickslow was actually out of bed and doing something… But she had a feeling that it wasn't.

"Just cleaning up a bit," Bickslow answered. "Figured I'd get everything packed away and organised so it's easier to donate."

Lucy frowned as she quickly set aside breakfast, stepping forward just so she could pull the small blanket that Bickslow had been folding up away from him. "Will you stop that already?"

"Stop what?"

"Being so goddamn _negative_."

Bickslow only reached for another one of the messily folded articles beside him, just to have it snatched away by Lucy again. "I'm not being negative," he said. Even his voice was lacking its usual enthusiasm; it was just emotionless and flat and Lucy noticed it all too quickly. "I'm being real."

"No, you're not," Lucy insisted.

"I'm not getting her back, Lucy. There's no point of trying to pretend that it's going to happen."

"You know, when you keep saying things like that, it makes me wonder if you even want her back," she snapped.

"Of course I fucking do!" Bickslow shouted. He would do anything in the world to get Scarlett back, but he knew that no matter what he did, it wouldn't be enough. _He_ wasn't enough. So to him, there was just absolutely no point of trying. His daughter was gone, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Well, you're sure as hell not acting like it!"

"Because there's just no point."

"There's always a point."

"Not now. Not with this," Bickslow mumbled. The fact that no one else could see that just made things worse. And Lucy still continuing to try and make him have faith that he'd win in court was just more frustrating than anything. He knew she meant well, but it was just a waste of time.

And as much as Lucy wanted to argue that, she knew it wasn't the time to do so. She knew it would be like talking to a brick wall, too, and if she wanted to do that, she could go and talk to Natsu. There was no point of kicking a man when he was down, and Bickslow was clearly that right then. "Well, anyway." Sighing, she set down the blankets she'd snatched from him and picked up the cardboard tray with the croissants and hot drinks. "I bought you some breakfast.

He took the styrofoam cup but ignored the paper bag Lucy handed him. "Thanks, but I'm not really hungry," he mumbled. Bickslow had been hoping it was some kind of coffee as he took a sip of the just-warm beverage, but he could tolerate hot chocolate.

"Don't care. Eat."

Reluctantly, Bickslow accepted it and then picked himself up from the ground just to go and eat downstairs. Once he started eating the ham and cheese croissant, he had to admit it tasted pretty good. He still hadn't really felt like eating, but the buttery pastry tasted far better than the beer and candy snakes he'd been living off for the last three days.

Lucy only ate her own in silence as she looked around the living area. It was as neat as it always was, but things were missing. Namely, the swing Scarlett was usually in, and her playmat that was normally in the lounge room, and there was even a box in the corner of the counter she hadn't seen before that looked to be holding all of the bottles Bickslow used for the formula. _He really is serious about getting rid of it all._ It only made Lucy want to find a way to get Bickslow to believe in himself even more, but she simply didn't know how to.

She did have an idea, though. The hearing was just a few more days away, and even if Bickslow wasn't showing it, Lucy knew that he was worrying about it just a little bit. She wanted to distract him, if he could, so that was her goal for the day. "So I was thinking," she began, dusting the pastry flakes from her hands before she crumpled up the paper bag her own croissant had come in. "Maybe we could go out somewhere today?"

"…Um, like where? And do what exactly?"

"I don't know. We could go to the guild for a little while?"

Bickslow shook his head. "Not the guild."

"Um… We could go shopping?" Lucy suggested. Bickslow simply raising an eyebrow at her made her grimace slightly. _Right. Guys don't like going shopping._ "Do you have any Christmas decorations? We could decorate the tree if you haven't done it yet."

"I don't have one."

"What? A Christmas tree?" Bickslow shook his head and Lucy quickly stood from where she sat at the counter. "Well, it's settled then! We have to go buy one!"

"Lucy, no, come on. I don't need one," he protested. Lucy was already cleaning up the rubbish from breakfast and quickly disappearing down the hall to grab a coat and boots from his wardrobe. He really didn't care that much for celebrating Christmas. He bought presents for people if they meant enough to him, but he didn't care about the tree or the lights or any of that. And now that he lived alone, he saw even less of a reason to bother. "I don't even have anywhere to put one anyway."

"We'll find room for one, don't worry."

* * *

Lucy woke up to a loud crack of thunder just outside. The rain was still pelting down heavily against the window as it had been all evening. Lucy reached out to feel for her keys she usually kept beside her when she slept, but instead found nothing but the base of the lamp and the edge of the table. _I must've left them in the living room with my purse._ She didn't need to touch Horologium's key to know it was late though, because it had already been quarter to eleven by the time she'd decided to go to bed.

Pulling the blanket back up to her chin, Lucy rolled over again with the thought of going back to sleep in her head. That thought didn't last for long though, because when her arm slid out, her hand only found a cold sheet where she was fairly certain Bickslow should be.

She quickly turned on the light and sat up, wincing as she let her eyes adjust to the sudden light. Lucy could tell it had been a while since Bickslow had supposedly gotten up, but she wondered just how long it had been. Had he waited until she'd fallen asleep to move? Or had it been more recently, and the sheets had only just lost the warmth from when he'd been there?

Lucy wondered why Bickslow was up at all, too. She liked to think that it wasn't because she was staying there that night, because it wasn't exactly like she'd intended to – the rain had been so heavy earlier in the evening that Bickslow had told her it wasn't even worth her trying to go home – but with how unattached to everything he'd been since his birthday, Lucy couldn't help but worry that her presence alone was making things harder for Bickslow. It wasn't like he hadn't already said it before anyway. It had just been under different circumstances.

She pulled herself out of bed and shivered as the cold air hit her bare legs. Virgo had appeared earlier to offer her some pyjamas to wear , but knowing Virgo, Lucy had opted to borrow a sweatshirt from Bickslow's wardrobe instead.

The rest of the house was dark as she crept down the hall, hand trailing along the wall to feel her way around. When she reached the stairs, she hesitated. Bickslow could very well be sitting in the lounge room for all she knew, but… Lucy had a feeling that he wasn't. Carefully, just so she didn't trip, Lucy began to climb the stairs one at a time. When she saw a small amount of light at the top, she knew she'd been right, but that didn't make her feel any better.

It was the second time that day Lucy had found Bickslow in Scarlett's room, although thankfully, he wasn't trying to get everything ready to be given away that time. Instead, he was just sitting in the plush chair by window with his arms wrapped around his knees.

"I guess I already got so used to having to wake up at this time to feed Scout, that I still can't sleep properly when she's not even here," Bickslow whispered before Lucy could even ask why he was awake. It had been like that all week. No matter how tired he was, he still woke up at the same time that Scarlett would usually start fussing. He could barely even get back to sleep afterwards, at least not that week, and it only made him feel something close to pathetic.

Lucy didn't know what she was supposed to say right then. She wasn't sure if there was anything she could say. All she knew, was that as much as Bickslow tried to say that it was all a waste of time, and as much as he had given up, he was still hurting. And it was expected, of course, because Scarlett was his daughter and any _slightly_ decent parent would miss their child when they'd been taken from them.

But it was clearly affecting him more than he would actually admit, and Lucy hated that Bickslow was even doing that. He had no reason to hide anything. No one was going to think any less of him for admitting just how lost he was with it all.

Still, Lucy didn't think there was anything she could do right then. As much as she missed Scarlett and hoped she'd be able to return home to where she belonged, Lucy just couldn't even begin to understand how Bickslow _really_ felt.

"Do you want me to make you anything?" she offered, feet meeting the soft rug in the middle of the room as she slowly stepped forward. "Or just stay up with you?"

Bickslow shook his head. He didn't need Lucy's company right then. He didn't really need it at all, but he had the babies anyway and they were more than enough for the time being, all piled into the small space between his chest and his knees and poking him with their wings. "No, thank you. I'm fine," he answered. "Just… Just go back to sleep."

Lucy hesitated, but nodded slightly to herself before turning and heading back into the hall. She didn't go back down to the bedroom though. Instead, she went and fetched a folded blanket from the lounge in the living room just to take it back upstairs to Bickslow. She gently draped it over his shoulders once she'd returned, only pulling it tighter around his arms so he would at least be a little warmer.

"Come wake me if you need me, okay?" Lucy whispered then, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to the top of his head. She doubted Bickslow would wake her if he needed her for whatever reason, but it put her mind at ease knowing that Bickslow had heard her.

In the end, Lucy didn't manage to fall back asleep that night.

* * *

The morning of the hearing finally came, and the gloomy weather reflected how everyone felt about the day's events. Dark storm clouds covered the sky, leaving no room for the sun to shine and bring a little warmth to anyone's lives.

Arriving at Bickslow's house, she found the Seith mage still in bed. He was awake, just like he had been all night, but it was clear to Lucy that he wasn't going to get up on his own.

She opened up the curtains to let just a little bit of light into the room before walking back around the end of the bed to sit down just in front of Bickslow. "Big day today," she said, though there was no excitement in her voice. It was a big day, but it wasn't going to be a good day. "Are you ready?"

"No," he mumbled.

Lucy realised she should've expected that. She was also certain that Bickslow would never be ready, but that didn't really matter. Getting up that day to go and find out if a judge thought he was capable of looking after Scarlett was what he _needed_ to do. And as much was Bickslow probably wished he could just avoid it all, he knew that he couldn't just stay in bed either. He had to go and face the music one way or another.

"Well, come on, time to get ready." Lucy stood just to give Bickslow room to get up, and she only watched him with concern mounting as he slowly sat up, rubbing his face once he had his feet on the ground. "Have you decided what you're going to wear?" she asked.

"Not yet. I'm guessing I need to get dressed up though, judging by what you're wearing." He thought she looked good though, despite the circumstances. The grey dress that went to her knees made her look a little older, more mature – like she was the kind of person who _did_ have their shit together and a judge wouldn't even think twice about whether or not she'd be a good parent. Bickslow wished he had that.

"Not… _dressed up_ , exactly. But you do need to look respectable. I can find something for you to wear while you take a shower."

"Yeah, fine."

Once she heard the water running, Lucy quickly and neatly made the bed before she found something for Bickslow to wear. She found a shelf with broken, chipped, and cracked metal visors before she found anything resembling a suit. A white shirt had been easy enough to find, but it took Lucy a moment to decide whether a black suit or navy blue would look best. Ultimately, she ended up taking the crisp navy blue jacket from the hanger and went about finding the matching pants.

As early as Lucy had left that morning, there still wasn't much time left before they'd have to leave for the courthouse. The only reason Lucy had left her apartment that early at all was because she'd expected to have to give Bickslow a bit of a push to get out of bed. Thankfully it hadn't been too difficult, but time was still running a little short.

When Bickslow got out of the shower and came back out into the kitchen, dressed in the suit Lucy had chosen him, a simple breakfast of toast and juice was waiting for him. "We'll have to leave soon," she said. "Laxus said they'll all meet you at the courthouse."

Bickslow nodded. "I figured."

Lucy left Bickslow to pick at his breakfast in peace to go and find a tie for him to wear. She spied his glasses sitting on the nightstand as she came back out with the grey tie. She knew why Bickslow wore them occasionally, and she knew that it was to do with how he kept his magic under control. What Lucy had learnt over the last couple of months though, was that he needed them more when he was tired, or when he was tense. Picking them up quickly, Lucy slipped them into the pocket of her blazer. She didn't know if Bickslow really would need them that day, but she'd take them just in case he did.

When Lucy returned, Bickslow turned on his chair to take the tie from Lucy when she held it out. He hated ties more than he hated _bowties_. He hated suits in general, too, but he wasn't going to complain. His hatred of ties meant he still wasn't that great at tying them, so when he struggled to get the knot right, Lucy reached forward to push his hands out of the way and tie it for him.

"Here, let me." She'd mastered the art of tying a tie from all the times she'd had to help Natsu and Gray do theirs when necessary. But she'd seen her father do it enough that it hadn't taken Lucy very long to grasp how to do it herself. It had proved to come in handy at times, though. Folding the collar of Bickslow's shirt down and pulling the knot tight, she laid the fabric flat before asking softly, "How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm going to be sick."

"Well… It'll be all over before you know it, then there'll be nothing to worry about."

"That's what I _am_ worried about," Bickslow said. By the end of the day, he could've lost Scarlett for good, and that terrified him, even if he knew that it was the likeliest scenario. As much as he thought he'd deserved her being taken from him, simply because he didn't think he was good enough for her, the thought of it actually becoming permanent really did just make him feel ill.

The last week and a half he'd been doing nothing but telling himself that there was nothing he could do, that there was no point of even trying to say otherwise because no one was ever going to choose him over Scarlett's mother. But he'd never _completely_ believed it, or at least that was what he was realising that morning. He hadn't wanted to have hope that things would work out, because then it would hurt a whole lot more when he ended up hearing that Katie would get full custody of Scarlett.

Somehow though, as much as Bickslow had hoped otherwise, Lucy's constant optimism had gotten through. It had been just a tiny bit, but it was enough that he was all the more scared of having to walk into that courtroom.

He didn't want it all to be over, because then it would be real and then none of it would just be temporary. He was scared of what the ending would be.

"I'm not going to get her back, Lucy," he whispered. "I don't… I don't want to lose her."

"I know you don't." Lucy leant down just so she could rest her forehead against his, her hands resting gently against the sides of his face. "It'll be fine though, okay?" she said quietly. "Everything will work out just fine."

* * *

Once the courthouse steps were in sight, Lucy reached for Bickslow's hand to lace their fingers together and give a gentle squeeze. "It'll be okay," she said with a kind smile. "I'm here for you." She doubted it really meant anything, but it was better than saying nothing at all.

Bickslow only gave a simple nod before they climbed the steps, slowly just so neither one of them tripped on the wet stone.

As soon as Evergreen saw Bickslow and Lucy coming up, she left Freed and Laxus behind just so she could go and wrap her arms around the Seith mage. "How are you? Did you get any sleep? Have you eaten anything?" she fussed, standing back to hold his face and determine if the dark marks under his eyes were any worse than usual. "God, I'm so sorry you have to do this, Bix. It's not fair."

"Thanks, Ever," Bickslow murmured, letting himself be pulled into another hug by Evergreen. He rubbed at his eyes once they'd all made it into the foyer and, and he sighed through his nose.

Freed knew that sigh as well as Laxus and Evergreen did. When Bickslow held his eyes shut for longer than necessary, it only confirmed what he already knew. "Do you need your glasses, Bickslow?" he asked.

"Yeah, but I didn't bring them."

"I can quickly go fetch them—"

"Oh! Here. I brought them for you just in case," Lucy chimed in. A slight warmth crept up on her cheeks when all of them looked to her with eyebrows raised. Even Bickslow was surprised, but he was thankful for it since he hadn't even thought to bring them himself. "I figured you might want them at some point…" she added quietly.

"Oh. Well, thank you," Bickslow said.

After signing in at the court reception and finding out what courtroom Bickslow would be in, they went off to wait outside the room. Bickslow sat on the bench directly opposite the doors, knee bouncing constantly as he continued to stare. The tense silence didn't last long before the sound of heels on the tiles echoed down the hallway, and Bickslow didn't even get a chance to look up before he heard a woman shout, "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

It was then that Bickslow looked up to see the vaguely familiar woman with the dark blonde hair tied into a high bun, but when he expected to see her staring at him, he found her staring at Lucy right beside instead.

"First you steal my fucking boyfriend, now you're trying to steal my fucking kid too?" the woman spat.

"Katie, what did I tell you?" the lawyer beside her urged, trying to drag her away from Lucy before she made a fool of herself – or, more so than she already had. "Do not speak to them."

"Yeah, right," Katie muttered. That didn't stop her from glaring back to Lucy once more before she entered the courtroom with her lawyer, just to add, "Stay the fuck away from my family, slut."

Laxus' lightning began to crackle around him as the doors swung closed. He would've been ready to destroy the whole building had it not been for Freed laying a hand on his shoulder and whispering for him to calm down. It wasn't the place or the time for violence. They were there to support Bickslow, not to cause more trouble for him.

Instead, Laxus only asked, "What was that about?"

Lucy shook her head as she continued to stare down to her lap. "Nothing. Don't worry."

Bickslow remembered what Lucy had told him right after he'd gone to her for help with Scarlett. He knew Katie and Lucy had a few problems, just because Lucy had unknowingly slept with the woman's fiancé at the time. But if Bickslow had known Lucy would get abused for being there with him that day, then he would've insisted Lucy stay home.

Then again, he supposed it wouldn't have even been necessary if Katie was more of an actual human being and didn't closely resemble a rabid dog. Bickslow had a hard time believing _she_ was Scarlett's mother.

Once Bickslow decided it was time to enter, right after one of the court officers said the judge would be in soon, Lucy went to sit in the front row of the benches right behind Bickslow's table. She didn't even get a chance to actually sit down next to Evergreen before Katie shouted, " _Get. Her. Out of here!"_

"Miss, please calm down," the court officer said. "Calm down or you'll be restrained."

"I'll calm down when _she_ gets the hell out of here."

Lucy only wished she could sink down into the wooden seat when Katie pointed to her and everyone else looked in her direction. She wanted to stay and be there for Bickslow, but so far, all Lucy had seemed to do was cause problems. She didn't want to stay if that was all she was doing.

The presiding judge was announced before Lucy could leave, and she stood along with everyone else as the session began. When told to sit, Katie remained standing, and Judge Brooks looked at her over the top of his small glasses. "Is there a reason you are still standing, Miss…" He glanced down to one of the papers at his podium. "Clayborne?"

"Yes." Her lawyer beside her merely shook her head before tugging on Katie's arm to pull her back to her seat.

"I apologise for my client's behaviour, Your Honour," she said.

"Well, I'll forgive it this time. Take a seat."

"I… do have one request though, if I may," she continued.

Judge Brooks glanced back up. "Proceed quickly."

"On behalf of my client, I request that someone in the audience be removed from the room."

"On what grounds?"

"My client has had… personal altercations with them in the past."

The judge shook his head and looked to one of his officers standing by. "Escort whoever it is out, and do so quickly," he sighed.

Lucy didn't need to be escorted out though. She was more than capable of doing it herself. So when Katie's lawyer pointed her out to the officer, Lucy was already standing and excusing herself. "I can do so myself, don't worry." It wasn't ideal, but if leaving was what was best, then she'd do it without complaint.

All Lucy hoped was that her bad day didn't get any worse.

* * *

When the doors opened again, Lucy quickly got up and waited for everyone to walk out. Bickslow was the first to leave, and he didn't even seem to notice Lucy rising from the wooden bench as he passed her and headed straight for one of the emergency exits.

"Bix? Where are you—"

"Let him go," Laxus said, dropping a hand to Lucy's shoulder when he came up behind her.

She stopped and instead just watched the emergency exit door close behind Bickslow as he left without a word. Was the hearing going so horribly that Bickslow couldn't even stand to be around anyone? Lucy almost didn't want to know, but she knew she had to at least ask how it was going.

Turning, she found the rest of Bickslow's team with matching expressions. Laxus looked the most worried of them all, though. "I take it things aren't going well?"

"I think that would be an understatement," Freed said.

"I just don't understand why he's not even _trying_ to defend himself," Evergreen whispered. They'd all stopped trying to convince him to hire a lawyer to help him win when he'd told them for the fiftieth time that he didn't want to, but they'd all still expected him to do more than just sit there.

He answered questions when necessary, but he gave the bare minimum. And when Katie's lawyer stood there and told the judge all about how he was irresponsible and unreliable, and painted him to be the villain in his own story, Bickslow just sat there and took it. Evergreen knew that most of it, if not all of it, was just one big lie – there was no way Bickslow would've purposely ignored dealing with something as important as custody – but when he only gave the bare minimum, it made her wonder if what _she_ knew was actually the truth. It made her wonder if Bickslow really had been lying to them about not knowing a single thing about Katie.

And the fact that Evergreen was even doubting one of her closest friends just made her feel horrible. Because if it was bad enough that she was wondering what was true and what wasn't, then what was the judge thinking?

Lucy looked back to the door Bickslow had just left through before she turned to go and sit down next to Laxus on the bench. "He's not going to win, is he?" she whispered.

"It'll be a fucking miracle if he does," Laxus said. "That woman is a piece of work."

"Who? Scout's mother, or her lawyer?"

"Both." They'd come perfectly ready to destroy a man's life, and all Laxus wanted to do was hit Bickslow to knock some sense into him. The last thing he wanted was for Bickslow to actually lose, but he was beginning to see that it was inevitable. "How the hell could anyone actually lie about shit like that?" he whispered incredulously. Laxus would admit, he'd done some horrible things. But he would never be capable of doing what Katie and her walking legal dictionary were doing, and had done.

Laxus wasn't capable of accusing someone of being a bad parent – well, other than his own father, of course. He wasn't capable of saying a child was being improperly cared for when they weren't. He wasn't capable of accusing someone of purposely putting a child in danger, when clearly, they never did. He wasn't capable of going out of his way just to purposely ruin someone's life for no good reason, other than for his own personal gain. Not anymore, at least.

But that's what they were doing to Bickslow. They were calling him the worst of parents. They were saying Scarlett had been put in danger and they had proof of it with medical records and complaints from his neighbours – although Laxus knew for a fact both of those were just total bullshit, because the house on one side was empty and Vanessa on the other was too busy looking after her own kids to care about what anyone else did with theirs. But they were doing everything they could to strip Bickslow of every single parental right he'd ever had or ever _could_ have.

They were using his name, the stupid things he'd done as a teenager, and even the fact he was a mage against him. And it just wasn't fair.

"I don't know, Laxus," Lucy murmured. "I really don't know."

Knowing that it was going horribly only had Lucy wishing even more that she could be in there with them. She knew Bickslow didn't need her there, because he still had his team and they were really all the support he'd need, but Lucy still _wanted_ to be there for him.

She almost felt as if things were going so poorly just because she'd been forced to sit out, but Lucy knew that was wrong. She was out there to avoid causing more problems. Still, all Lucy wanted was to know what was going on, and to be able to be there for Bickslow.

But, Lucy knew she couldn't be. She couldn't go in there without Katie screaming at her. The problem was that Lucy couldn't just sit out there and hope for the best, either, especially not now, knowing how horribly things were going just on the other side of the doors. Lucy just had to do _something_. She was incapable of just waiting.

Without a single word, Lucy rose to her feet and went off in the direction of the judge's chambers. She heard Laxus asking where she was going, but she ignored it and kept going. Lucy knew she was being stupid – reckless, even – and she knew what the consequences would be, but at that point, Lucy was convinced that it was going to end badly no matter what she did or said. The only thing Lucy had going in her favour right then was that she knew the judge in Bickslow's case personally, so when she found his door with the brass nameplate, she was welcomed in with something resembling a smile.

"Miss Heartfilia, please, come in," Judge Brooks said. He was just hanging up his robe as Lucy gently closed the door behind herself and went to sit on one of the leather chairs opposite the desk. "I trust all is going well?"

"I wish I could say that," Lucy replied.

She'd known Judge Brooks since she'd joined Fairy Tail. One of the first jobs she'd taken by herself had been a simple babysitting job, of all things. The judge was a proud father to three daughters, and Lucy had been tasked with keeping them busy for a day while he'd been busy in court, and while their mother had been sick and getting some rest. But ever since then, the judge had been someone Lucy had trusted. At one point, not long after her own father had tried to have Phantom Lord abduct her and return her to him, she'd gone to Judge Brooks for legal advice surrounding her mostly estranged relationship with Jude. Thankfully, Lucy had never needed to use any of it, but it had helped.

"Ah, yes… I thought it had been you leaving my courtroom before." He'd only caught a glimpse, but he'd thought the woman had looked familiar. That didn't prove to be a good thing, though. "You know I can't exactly talk to you about the case…" the judge said with a frown.

"No, I know that. But… I just want you to know that everything they're saying about Bickslow… It's not the truth."

"Lucy, this really is not a conversation I can take any part in," Judge Brooks warned.

"Please, just hear me out for a few minutes," Lucy pleaded. She knew that it wasn't something the judge could talk to her about, and she knew she had no place talking to him about any of it anyway. But it was what she needed to do, despite the harm it may end up causing. "You don't even have to listen to me, but… There's things you need to know, and I know I have no right to even be here and say anything, but I won't leave here until you do listen. Please."

Judge Brooks sighed through his nose as he sat back in his chair, folding his arms across his stomach. He knew Lucy to be kind and caring, and he knew her to be intelligent, too. She was putting him in an unfortunate position right then, but Judge Brooks liked to consider himself a fair judge, so he was unsure of what to do.

Lucy being so distraught over the case just made the judge worry, though. He'd have been blind to not notice how one-sided it all was between the two parents, and that was new for him. He couldn't remember ever dealing with an issue of custody where one parent had had so little interest in proving themselves. It was clear to Judge Brooks that Lucy had information he needed though, and as uncomfortable as it made him to admit that, he supposed it would be in the best interests of the child involved to actually listen to what Lucy had to say.

"Make it quick then," the judge finally said after a moment of consideration. Whether or not it made a difference to the case though… That was to be determined.

Lucy nodded quickly before beginning, "I don't know _exactly_ what they're accusing him of doing, but please, believe me when I say none of it is true. Bickslow _loves_ that child. He would never do anything to hurt her, especially not intentionally."

The judge had assumed that much on his own. If it was one thing the mother and her lawyer didn't have, it was solid evidence to support their claims. The judge had Scarlett's medical records – she was perfectly fine. It was just the issue of safety he was concerned about.

"And… And while he's not the greatest parent, because he's still learning how to even be one, he's still far better than _she_ would ever be," Lucy said. "She left a one-week-old baby on a doorstep _. A doorstep_. She abandoned her daughter outside Bickslow's house, not even knowing if he still lived there or if he was even home, and didn't say a single thing to anyone. Did anyone mention that?"

"…It didn't come up," Judge Brooks said quietly. "Is there proof of this?"

"Well, no… But I saw the note she left with Scarlett."

"What did this note say?"

Lucy reached into her purse to pull out the folded piece of paper to hand it to the judge. "Read it for yourself." Why Bickslow had even kept it, Lucy had no idea, but now she was glad for it. Bickslow didn't know she'd found it again, though, but she'd brought it anyway. Lucy liked to be over-prepared sometimes.

Judge Brooks cleared his throat after he finished reading the short note, and quickly handed it back to Lucy. "Well, I can't admit that into evidence, naturally…"

 _Right. Because we're not having this conversation_. She tucked it away and continued quietly, "And since I'm guessing Bickslow isn't saying much or trying to defend himself… It's because he doesn't believe in himself. He's too scared of messing things up for Scout—I mean Scarlett, because he's had to figure it all out on his own, that he won't fight for her. He thinks he deserved this happening."

"He could've avoided all of this if he'd gone to the resolution sessions."

"But he didn't know about them. He never knew about any of this, not until he quite literally had Scarlett taken from his arms," she whispered. "I was there with him that morning when it happened. He had no idea about any of it. They are _lying_ , Mr. Brooks. About everything."

That wasn't something the judge could just believe. He wanted to, but he couldn't. He had to consider it from all angles. He had to consider how Lucy was even involved in any of it, too. "How do you fit into all of this then?" he asked. "You seem to know both parties quite well."

"I knew… one of Katie's previous partners. She's had a problem with me for months," Lucy mumbled. "And Bickslow… Bickslow is a good friend. He came to me when he found Scarlett. I've known her just as long as he has."

"I see…"

Lucy looked down to her lap where she picked at the small flakes of worn leather on the strap of her purse. She didn't feel like she'd said anything useful at all. Even if she had, it wasn't like the judge could use any of it. She rose slowly from the chair and looked back to the judge. "I know you couldn't talk to me about any of this at all, but… Please, please don't judge that man on the lies they are telling you. Ask anyone else and they'll tell you the exact opposite to what they're saying. Bickslow is the best chance Scarlett has, and I'm not saying that because we're close, but because I _know_ he would go to any length to give her the best life. And Katie… She left her own daughter on a doorstep and said she ruined her life. If that was the mother of your children, would you knowingly leave them with her?"

The judge shifted in his seat.

"Just… consider that, please," Lucy said softly. "Bickslow may not ever be a perfect parent, but he'll still always try his best, which is a whole lot more than what Scarlett's mother will ever do. She shouldn't get another chance after what she did, but that's just me."

After that, she turned and quietly let herself out, returning to the benches just outside the empty courtroom. All Lucy hoped was that she hadn't just made things worse.

"Oh. You're back," Evergreen said as Lucy sat back down on the long bench next to trio. "Where did you disappear to? We were worried you weren't coming back."

"Just to the restroom," Lucy replied with a smile. She couldn't actually bear to tell anyone where she'd been, just in case she ended up being the final push to make Bickslow lose his daughter for good.

Thankfully, it was an answer that no one questioned, so they all just sat in silence opposite the courtroom doors, waiting for the session to resume and for Bickslow to return. He did so just as the hearing resumed, walking past everyone and not even bothering to spare a glance in their direction until Laxus asked with narrowed eyes, "Where did you go?"

"Fuck off," Bickslow snapped.

Laxus didn't take it personally, but it still earned a worried glance from Freed as they decided to finally follow Bickslow into the courtroom with everyone else. It wasn't like Laxus didn't know where and what Bickslow had been doing anyway – smoke was hard to mask. He'd known Bickslow long enough to know of his various coping methods. It was just that some were better than others, and half of them were why the man had a misdemeanours list as long as his forearm.

* * *

When the judge had started listing everything he'd been fined over, arrested for, or just charged for at some point in his life, Bickslow had known it was over. That was before they'd brought up the time he'd helped Laxus try and take over Fairy Tail, and before they'd pointed out that he was, in fact, a guild mage, and guild mages had never been known for being _reliable_ because of how they made their living.

But right from the beginning, Bickslow had known he had no chance of winning. And when he'd started being accused of things he could never even think of doing, when he'd been made to seem like someone who was incapable of looking after his daughter in every way possible, Bickslow just hadn't seen the point of trying to say that none of it was true. Who would take his word over Katie's?

Mother always knows best.

He'd answered the questions where necessary, but that was it. Katie had won the minute she'd walked in the door. At one point, Bickslow had only wanted to tell the judge to just give her custody and be done with it. It was just a waste of time otherwise.

When the judge had walked back in later, after he'd left to decide who he'd grant custody to, Bickslow had gotten himself ready for the worst anyway. But then when Judge Brooks walked back in and said that he saw no reason for Bickslow to lose custody of Scarlett, he'd cried. He'd broken down right then and there in the middle of a fucking courtroom, and cried.

Katie had cried too, and swore and screamed and just about gotten herself put in cuffs for it. But it had been for a very different reason.

Bickslow hadn't expected to win. Not ever in a million years. He hadn't thought he deserved it, and if he'd been the one judging it, not even Bickslow would've chosen himself. But Judge Brooks had, for whatever reason, and Bickslow had never felt so relieved in his entire life once he'd heard the words.

The worst part though, was that the first person Bickslow had wanted and expected to see behind him when he'd turned around, was Lucy. He'd somehow forgotten that she'd had to leave, just to avoid giving Katie any more ammunition. Still, his team and Laxus had been there, and they'd been enough. It had been one of the rare occasions where he'd been the one right in the middle of them all for a while, getting squished in the tightest hug possible, but Bickslow hadn't minded not being able to breath for a while.

Right before Bickslow had finally been about the leave, the judge came down from his podium to hand him the small card with the details of where Scarlett would be in the morning so he could pick her up once everything had been filed. Bickslow took it graciously. He wished he could go and see Scarlett right then, but… He'd been without her for nearly two weeks. He could wait another night.

"Thank you," Bickslow said, staring down at the address on it. "I just… I can't thank you enough."

"I'm just doing my job," Judge Brooks said with a warm smile. Still, the only reason he'd found to consider granting custody to the mother, was just because she was the child's mother. That wasn't always enough, though. "But… Just a quick bit of advice."

"Oh… Uh, okay."

"The people willing to fight for you against the odds are the ones you keep around, Mr. Redfarrow. Remember that."

"What? I, uh… I mean thanks," Bickslow mumbled. The judge turned and left, and Bickslow was left wondering just what his words were supposed to have meant. It made sense as just a saying, but… Right then? It wasn't like Bickslow had had anyone fighting for him. He hadn't even hired a lawyer to do so, and he certainly hadn't fought for himself. Yet against the odds, he'd still somehow won.

It perplexed him until he was out in the hall and saw Lucy standing with his team and waiting with the brightest smile he could ever remember seeing her with.

Lucy had _believed_ in him when the odds had been against him. That was the way it had always been. But for some reason, Bickslow had a feeling that wasn't all she'd done.

As soon as Lucy saw Bickslow though, she was running towards him to throw her arms around him, almost knocking Bickslow straight off his feet. "You did it! You got Scout back!" she said. She'd started to believe it really wouldn't happen, and when Evergreen had run out through the doors, screaming that Bickslow had won, Lucy had almost felt like crying. "I knew you'd do it!"

Bickslow hugged her back so tightly that Lucy's feet left the ground for a moment. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you." He set Lucy back down on the ground and quickly lifted his hands just to hold her face and quickly kissed her, almost entirely without thinking – although he did vaguely notice Evergreen snickering just behind Lucy. "Whatever it was you did, just… _Thank you_. So fucking much." Bickslow couldn't care less about what it was Lucy had done. He knew she'd done something, but he didn't care to find out what. It didn't matter.

"I… I didn't do anything though…"

"You did. I know you did." He didn't even feel like pointing out that the red on her cheeks kind of gave it away anyway. Bickslow kissed her again before he added, "And I don't care what you did, but thank you for it. Thank you for everything."

Lucy gave just a small smile as she whispered, "You're welcome." Would she tell Bickslow that she talked to the judge? Probably not. There was nothing to say that what she said to Judge Brooks even made a difference. Lucy was just going to choose to believe that Bickslow had done it on his own. "When do you get to go and see Scout then?"

"Tomorrow, hopefully."

"Perhaps we should celebrate tonight then," Freed suggested.

"I… I don't know," Bickslow said bashfully.

Laxus came up to throw his arm around Bickslow's shoulders then, pulling him away from Lucy and down the hall. "Come on! You got your kid back. We have to do something to celebrate it," he agreed. It was a victory, and victories always had to be celebrated in Fairy Tail.

Bickslow sighed but admitted defeat. _Maybe celebrating a little will be nice_. He didn't think he had anything to worry about for a while, at least not as far as Katie was concerned. And, he'd be back to sleeping at weird hours and not really being able to go out on his own once he got Scarlett back. Maybe he really did deserve just one night of fun. "Alright, fine," he caved. "Just… Just a little bit though."

"A little bit is fine," Freed said.

Bickslow turned back to Lucy before they all left, finally noticing that she'd mostly been trailing behind them and not really joining in. "Are you going to join us?" he asked.

"I think I might just head home." Lucy smiled softly.

"What? Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Yup. Now go on, go celebrate," she laughed, prodding Bickslow in the chest so he could go back and follow his team home. "You deserve it, Bix."

Bickslow almost didn't want to do anything if Lucy wouldn't be there, just because it wouldn't be the same without her, but he wasn't going to force her to do anything. Besides, it was just one night, so he was sure he'd survive.

Nodding, he only waved goodbye and descended the steps with the rest of his team.

* * *

Laxus, Freed, and Evergreen had long since left by the time Bickslow was pulling himself out of bed later that night. He knew he should be sleeping, just because it was really only a few more hours until Scarlett would be home and he didn't want to be tired, but he just couldn't sleep that night. He was far too excited to sleep.

He wandered out into his lounge room just to watch the twinkling lights on the tree for a moment. "Scout's going to be home for Christmas, babies," he whispered.

"Miss Scout, miss Scout!" they cheered.

"I know you guys did. I did too." Bickslow would never stop being thankful for what had happened. He'd accepted that Scarlett was gone when she'd first been taken from him, but now Bickslow felt like he was being given a second chance, and he didn't want to fuck it up.

He crouched down to look at the small pile of presents at the base of the tree. Most of them were for Scarlett, from what he could tell – Evergreen had left earlier in the evening just to return half an hour later with her arms full of wrapped presents – although there were a couple for him as well. Bickslow could tell those were all books though, which was fine. But, seeing the presents under the tree reminded Bickslow that he still needed to write a card to go with Lucy's present.

With the babies still trailing behind him, Bickslow went to find the wrapped frame. He'd hidden it on the top of a shelf that he knew for certain Lucy couldn't reach, so getting it down had been easy for him. He checked the festive paper to make sure the wooden frame was still neatly wrapped, before setting it aside and going to fetch an ink pen and the Christmas card from a drawer.

He'd chosen the present itself just a few days before his birthday, and he'd wanted to write something to go with it but just hadn't known what to write at the time. Now though, Bickslow knew exactly what to write. He did his best to keep his handwriting neat and legible, and he read it over six times just to make sure he hadn't accidentally missed a word.

"Such a sap," Puppu teased.

"So romantic," Pippi cooed.

Bickslow rolled his eyes as he slipped the card in the envelope, sticking it to the front of the present. "Oh, shut up." He would admit, it was pretty fucking corny, but it didn't matter much, because Lucy was the only one who was going to see it anyway.

After setting the present down under the tree, Bickslow stayed to watch the lights change colours slowly for just another moment before switching it all off to leave the room in the dark. _Just a few more hours, and Scout will be back_ _home_. Bickslow honestly couldn't wait.

For the time being though, he decided to head upstairs to make sure everything was neat and tidy in her nursery.

* * *

Lucy waited until it was nearly noon before going to visit Bickslow. She hadn't been sure when he'd get Scarlett back, but Lucy had still wanted to give him a little bit of time with his daughter before she went to steal all the cuddles for herself.

"Bix?" Lucy called out in a sing-song voice, closing the door behind herself and laying her coat over the end of the lounge. "Are you here?"

"Bedroom," Bickslow called back.

The first thing Lucy saw through the open door to Bickslow's bedroom was Scarlett sitting in her bouncy swing by the side of the bed. Lucy couldn't stop herself from rushing forward just to lift Scarlett out and smother her face with soft kisses. "Oh, I missed you so much, you beautiful girl!"

Bickslow couldn't help but roll his eyes at the two as he folded up a shirt to drop inside the suitcase sitting on his bed.

"I'm just going to snuggle you forever, okay? So then you can't go anywhere. Deal? Deal."

"Not _forever_ , I hope," Bickslow mumbled.

"Yep. Forever," Lucy insisted. "I'm stealing Scout. She's mine now." She brought Scarlett up just to blow a raspberry on her cheek. "I'll let you see her occasionally. Don't worry."

Bickslow rolled his eyes again as he retreated back into his wardrobe. "Well, I'll take it."

Lucy just smiled to herself as she sat down on the edge of the bed, right next to the suitcase. "It's good to have her back," she said a little softer. "I think Scout would agree too, if she could."

"I don't think she really cares or even noticed anything changing, to be honest."

"Well, one day she might." Lucy was convinced Scarlett would have a very different life if she'd ended up with her mother, and that wouldn't have been a good thing. She was better off with Bickslow. Letting out a gentle sigh, Lucy glanced into the suitcase as she sat Scarlett on her lap, supporting her just so she wouldn't slip if she squirmed too much. "Going somewhere?" she finally asked.

"Uh… Yeah."

"That was sudden. Where are you going?"

"I guess so," Bickslow agreed. He pulled another two shirts from a drawer and took them over to the suitcase to fold them up and stack them neatly on top of the growing pile. "But… I'm going to see my parents."

"Oh." That one, Lucy hadn't been expecting.

Bickslow grimaced. He could tell she was a little disappointed, and that just made things difficult. Pressing down on the pile of clothes, Bickslow began to explain, "I mean, it's not really _that_ sudden… I was planning to go visit them for the holidays this year anyway, because that's what I usually do…" Granted, it wasn't every year, but so far it had been every second year. He didn't miss out on Christmas and the New Year with the guild that way. "But then… The whole thing with Scout happened, and I didn't think I'd get her back so I wasn't even going to bother seeing my family…"

"But you do have her back, so it makes sense to go just like you were planning," Lucy finished.

He shrugged. "Basically, yeah."

Lucy nodded. She understood. It was just that she'd kind of been hoping to spend a little bit of time with Bickslow over the holidays, especially now that Scarlett was home. Still, Bickslow visiting his family was probably a good thing. He had a daughter to introduce, after all. "Well, when will you be back?" she asked. Lucy presumed he'd be leaving in the next day or two, since it was already the 21st as it was.

"Um… Sometime around the middle of January," Bickslow admitted, wincing slightly. "I usually stay for a few weeks just because it's the only time I ever see them…"

"I see…"

It was only then, though, that Bickslow seemed to realise that a few weeks away was going to be a problem. With everything with Scarlett going on, Lucy had been the last thing on his mind – or at least, the fact their souls were fucking connected had been the last thing on his mind. Now though, it was all Bickslow could think about, and it kind of worried him.

Astrantia was a hell of a long way from Magnolia, and Bickslow was certain it would be the most distance they'd had between them since the whole bond started forming. Bickslow would be gone for a while too, and considering he'd hurt from less distance and less time apart, Bickslow almost didn't want to know how bad it could be by the middle of January when he was on one side of Fiore and Lucy was on the other. Then again, Bickslow knew that it got better over time, or at least that was what he remembered from what he'd read when he'd been younger, but the ache and _longing_ was always there to some extent.

But, as much as Bickslow wanted to avoid that pain, he couldn't stay in Magnolia that Christmas. He was set on visiting his parents, as frustrating as they were most of the time, which meant Bickslow was left having to come up with some kind of solution for his little soulmate problem.

"You could, uh… I don't know… Come with me," Bickslow said then, awkwardly walking back to his wardrobe and refraining from punching himself in the face.

"W-What?" Lucy squawked.

"Well, not for the _entire_ time I'm going…" he continued, the words flying out of his mouth before they'd even become conscious thoughts. "But, for a few days or something…"

It took Lucy a moment to process the fact that Bickslow was, in fact, inviting her to stay with him over Christmas while he visited his family. For the most part, she just had no idea what she was supposed to say. She didn't even know what she was supposed to think about it. "Um… Wow…"

Bickslow almost wanted to think it was a good thing Lucy was so uncomfortable. He'd been fucking _moronic_ to suggest her going with him. His parents would eat her alive. Bickslow had absolutely no idea what he'd been thinking when he'd said that. Although more accurately, Bickslow was convinced he hadn't been thinking. Not even a little bit.

"Don't worry," Bickslow mumbled. "It was just a stupid suggest—"

"No," Lucy interrupted quickly. The darkening shade of red on her cheeks only confirmed how little she was thinking of her own words now. "I… I kind of want to go…"

"Huh?"

She gave a small shrug. It was stupid, that was for certain. But… Lucy had to admit she was kind of curious about Bickslow's family. She'd met his father once when she'd been young, but that had been it. All Lucy knew of Bickslow's family was what he'd told her over the last couple of months. Getting to spend a few days with them could be interesting.

It could be a disaster waiting to happen, but it could also be interesting.

Besides, she'd get to spend time with Bickslow and Scarlett too, and that was what Lucy had wanted to do anyway.

"It'd be just for a few days, right?" Her smile was nervous as she looked back up to Bickslow staring wide-eyed at her. "What should I pack?"

* * *

 _Like I said, I can't claim any realism for certain parts of this. I originally wanted to put more detail into the actual hearing, but it was impossible to find any kind of transcript for a custody hearing, which wasn't actually surprising. Also, I probably could've eased up on the whole Lucy-saving-the-day thing, but... Oh well. It happened. (Also, honestly, it's not like Katie/the lawyer would've been able to get away with that shit in real life anyway.)_

 _On another note, yes, the next chapters will feature Bickslow's wonderful family. I've been excited to write these chapters since I first started writing this story. This is probably my favourite backstory for him that I've written, which is why I plan on writing a sidestory to this AU in the future, where Bickslow never leaves so he does end up marrying Lucy and taking over his family's business when the time comes. That idea has been a long time coming, but it won't be anytime soon, either._

 _Don't forget, BixCo Week is from October 24-31! (It's also my birthday week, yay me.) I have the first four stories finished at the moment, one of them is a sequel to something I've written and another is tied in with the GaLu/BixCo AU..._

 _That's all for now. Reviews are always appreciate... They motivate me to update._


	15. Astrantia

It was only once Mira and Cana had asked just _what_ she'd be introduced as to Bickslow's parents that Lucy became aware of just how fucking weird it was that she was spending the holidays with Bickslow and his family. After agreeing to go with Bickslow, she'd gone to the guild to tell her team about her new Christmas plans. It had mostly been out of courtesy, but really, it had just been to make it so they didn't think she'd disappeared off the face of the earth all of a sudden. Her team hadn't really cared much, although they had been surprised when Lucy had told them.

Everyone else, on the other hand…

Everyone else had had a fucking field day with it, it seemed. Gajeel had snickered with Juvia beside him, who'd seemingly only just registered the fact that Lucy was so totally into Bickslow's dick (as Gajeel had so elegantly explained to his girlfriend). Levy had made her own little comment about how Lucy meeting Bickslow's family was an exciting step in their non-existent relationship. Wendy had literally fucking told Lucy to be _safe_ , which had honestly just mortified Lucy. Evergreen had choked on her drink when she'd overheard it at the bar and spent the next fifteen seconds slapping Elfman's arm as she tried to breathe again. And, Cana and Mira had of course just decided to be annoying and ask whether Lucy was going to be introduced as a friend, a babysitter, or Bickslow's girlfriend.

Lucy's face had gone bright red and it had taken her a good few seconds to eventually splutter that it wasn't anything like that and that she would most likely just be introduced as _Lucy_.

Still, Lucy hadn't been able to stop thinking about it for the rest of the night. She'd spent most of the rest of the evening wondering if she should even bother going at all after that too, since, well… It was weird. Super weird. And it wasn't like she hadn't noticed how Bickslow had been just a little awkward once she'd said that she'd like to actually go, because she had. At the time, Lucy just hadn't thought much about it. Later, Lucy had been totally convinced that it was because Bickslow thought it was fucking weird, too.

Whatever the case for Bickslow's awkwardness was, though, Lucy still got out of bed at six o'clock the next morning just to shower, eat, get dressed, and meet Bickslow at the train station a little after seven. It was a ridiculously long ride to Astrantia, and there was usually only one train a day that headed that far north – or more accurately, northwest.

Once they'd boarded the train and gotten themselves as comfortable as they could, they both did their best to avoid the fact that they were both very much aware of how weird the whole thing was. If anything, they didn't really talk at all. Lucy spent most of her time reading, and Bickslow spent most of his time doing his best to keep his daughter from crying and making everyone else in the carriage hate him.

Unfortunately, over the course of a nearly eight-hour train ride, Scarlett definitely cried a few times. Bickslow had mostly had it handled though.

By the time they were just half an hour from their final stop, Lucy had already started to grow warm. Bickslow had told her to make sure to wear something she could easily take off once they got closer to that part of Fiore, so all she'd had to do was remove her sweater to be reasonably comfortable again. Except, the comfort hadn't lasted for long. Before she knew it, the train had been pulling into the station and Lucy had definitely been regretting her decision to wear jeans. Bickslow really hadn't been kidding when he'd said Astrantia was hotter than the deepest pits of Hell.

The worst part though, much to Lucy's surprise, was that Bickslow's house was still another thirty minutes away, and with all of their luggage (which had mostly been Bickslow's), the only way there had been by a literal carriage with the least amount of air possible.

"I told you to wear something lighter," Bickslow chuckled to himself as Lucy fanned her face with her hand.

"Shut it," she muttered. Honestly, at that point, she was almost tempted to just strip right there in the tiny carriage. She decided against it though. The downside was that Lucy was also sure that she was literally going to melt into a puddle on the horribly uncomfortable leather seat.

She went back to fanning herself as best she could while looking out the small window. The carriage was taking her through the town, and with the little Lucy could see, she was honestly already in love with the place. The buildings were all tightly packed together, some with large storefront windows, and all made of the same white and beige bricks. Narrow trees were dotted along the paths, and vibrant flowers hung in pots on every column and behind every fence.

At some point, the elegant shops turned to elegant townhouses as the carriage turned down another street. They were going slow enough that Lucy swore she read _Redfarrow_ on the brass plate just outside one set of iron gates. "Did that sign just say...?"

"Probably." Bickslow shrugged. He knew roughly where they were since it was the same route as always, so he knew that they'd probably just passed the white townhouse that his family did in fact own. He just didn't really have the heart or the energy to tell Lucy that it was the same house that they would've been living in together right then had they actually been married all those years earlier since it was presently the house his brother and his own family resided in.

Lucy tried not to be surprised. For the most part, she wasn't sure why she was at all since she knew what Bickslow's family was to that town (and what they had, which was a lot). She supposed it was more to do with how odd it was to actually be seeing the town that Bickslow had grown up in. Knowing it and seeing it were two very different things, as she was quickly realising.

The closer they got to Bickslow's family's home though, the more Lucy began to worry. She couldn't get how weird it was out of her head. "This totally isn't weird or anything, right?" she asked Bickslow hopefully. "I mean, visiting and all…"

"What? No. Of course not," Bickslow scoffed.

Lucy nodded. "Right… Okay…"

Bickslow could only glance back to Lucy for a second before he felt the last of his resolve and sanity leaving him and he quickly said in one breath, "It's super fucking weird." Honestly, it was really weird. He'd tried telling himself otherwise, but no, it was definitely weird. Super weird.

"I knew it! Oh my god… Oh god, this is bad…"

"Why the hell did you even agree to come with me?! It's weird!"

"Because you suggested it!"

Bickslow sank back into his seat and nodded to himself, brows furrowing slightly. "Right. I did that. Fuck, why did I do that?" he mumbled. At that point, he really wasn't sure what he'd been thinking, but then he remembered that he hadn't been thinking at all. _Well, guess it doesn't matter now_. Because Lucy was already there, and Lucy was freaking the fuck out and Bickslow really didn't want to deal with that. "Anyway, it's fine. Don't worry about it. Totally cool."

"It's _fine_?!" Lucy repeated, her voice reaching a pitch that made Bickslow grimace. Everything was definitely not fine. She had no fucking clue why she was there, Bickslow had no fucking clue why she was there, and Bickslow's parents were _definitely_ not going to have any fucking clue as to why she was there. "I'm meeting your goddamn parents!" She paused for a moment before adding softly and quickly, "Although technically I have already met your father, but I was only fourteen so he's probably not even going to recognise me anyway… Oh god, they're going to hate me."

"Why on earth would they hate you?"

"Because… Because we were… You know!"

"Cosplayer, that's definitely not a reason to hate you." He wasn't sure what his parents would actually think once they found out who Lucy was, but he was certain they wouldn't hate her.

Lucy nodded. "Of course. Who could hate me anyway? I'm me," she laughed nervously. _I'm going to fucking die._

Bickslow couldn't help but be slightly convinced that Lucy had lost the plot. The guild was going to hate him. He just told himself it was the heat making things worse. "Right… Yeah…" he mumbled.

The carriage came to an abrupt halt all too soon and Bickslow swallowed. He looked out the small window to see his childhood home, and for the second time in his entire life, he was actually terrified of walking in there. The first time he'd felt that way was when he'd gone back for the first time at twenty. He'd been terrified of facing his family again, since the last time he'd seen them was then he'd been telling them all to get fucked for trying to control him.

That time though, Bickslow was terrified of facing them because he knew how disappointed they'd be in him for getting someone he didn't even know knocked up.

"Oh my _god_ , you actually lived here?"

Lucy had gotten out of the carriage as soon as she could, and despite the afternoon sun making her feel like her skin was quite literally on fire, she'd needed the air, as hot as it had been. Seeing Bickslow's house though… She'd thought her house had been grand, but hers had been nothing compared to the Tuscan mansion that stood in front of her.

Bickslow grimaced as he finally climbed out, lifting Scarlett out in the carrier. "It's… not as big as it looks," he mumbled. Really, it wasn't. It just looked big from the front since it sprawled across the front of the property. He didn't even have the energy to make a _'that's what she said'_ joke about his own words.

"No? How many bedrooms then?"

"…Ten."

"Mine only had eight," Lucy sighed.

The driver of the carriage helped carry their bags to the front door that was up the steps. Lucy desperately tried to cool herself off as she walked across the clean courtyard lined with neat shrubs. She was sweating so much from the heat that she was positive she resembled a melting ice-cream, and that was definitely not a good look, especially since she was about to meet Bickslow's parents.

"Totally fine, right?" she asked as she followed Bickslow into the large foyer, looking around anxiously at the lavish room. There was a flower arrangement bigger than her head sitting on one of the tables.

Bickslow nodded all too quickly. "Yep, totally fine," he said, although it was probably more for his own benefit.

As the driver finished arranging their bags just by the curved staircase and excused himself back outside, a woman in a calico blouse and capris appeared at the top of the stairs from behind a wall. "Bixy!" she squealed, and Bickslow had to refrain from turning around and running back out the door. This was the worst part. It was always the worst part.

"I am so, _so_ sorry…" Bickslow mumbled as his mother rushed down the stairs as quickly as she could, hand sliding along the polished railing.

Lucy didn't get a chance to ask just what Bickslow could be apologising for before the woman shouted back up the stairs, "Felix, it's him! I told you he'd be here today! And he brought a friend!" She'd been about to rush forward to wrap her arms around Bickslow as she usually did whenever he visited, but then stopped when she saw the little baby in the carrier. "…And he brought a baby, too."

Bickslow rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Ah, yeah…"

His mother hesitated for a moment, looking down to the baby and then to Lucy for a moment, before she just stepped forward and hugged Bickslow as tight as she could manage anyway – although it was difficult since he was so much bigger than her and she still only went up to her son's shoulders. "I'm so glad you could make it again, Bickslow," she said softly, smiling warmly once she stepped back and squeezed his arms. "It's always so wonderful when you're home."

"Idelle, stop smothering him already."

"Oh, you shush. I'm not smothering him," she muttered. "Right, hun? I'm not smothering you, am I?"

"…A little bit," Bickslow admitted. But, that was always what happened. His mother would hug him way too tight and go on about how happy she was when he visited, and Bickslow would just stand there and deal with it. "Hi, Dad."

Idelle pouted and crossed her arms. "Fine, no more smothering you," she mumbled. And in that moment, Lucy definitely had no doubts about the woman being Bickslow's mother. They had the same childish pout. "But _you_ , on the other hand…" Idelle set her sights on Scarlett and crouched down to pull her out of the carrier. "Who's this little one?"

Bickslow cringed once again. "That would be, uh… My daughter. Scarlett."

"Daughter?" Felix repeated.

Idelle's eyes went wide for a second. She'd assumed that the baby was his child, but it was still surprising to hear that her son did, in fact, have a child at all. She looked to Lucy as she cradled Scarlett in her arms. "You must be her mother then, yes?"

"O-Oh! No, no… I'm not…" Lucy shook her head. "I'm not her mother."

"No?"

"This is, uh… This is… Lucy," Bickslow mumbled. "She's my, uh… The, uh… Um… babysitter." He cringed so hard that even his parents noticed it. Lucy was definitely not going to forgive him for that. Not at all.

Felix reached out to shake Lucy's hand. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Lucy," he said. "Although you look familiar. We haven't met before, have we?"

"Uh…"

Bickslow coughed into his hand as he quickly added, "Heartfilia. She's… a Heartfilia." It was bound to have come out eventually anyway.

"Heartfilia, you say?" Idelle said, lips curling up into a slight smirk. She really hadn't expected the holidays to be so interesting, but now here her son was with a daughter and a Heartfilia by his side. Bickslow definitely had some explaining to do. But first, she supposed it would be better to let her son and his babysitter get a little rest after their journey. "Well, we didn't know you'd be bringing a guest so we don't have any of the guest rooms set up at the moment…" she said to Lucy, gently passing Scarlett back to Bickslow. "Although that won't be a problem anyway if you'll be staying with Bickslow…"

"Oh. No, that's—"

"That's fine," Bickslow interrupted. He didn't really think much of it until his mother raised her eyebrows at him and Lucy actually made a noise that resembled a squeak. "I mean, uh… I don't really care either way, but… It's your call…" he continued quietly. Either way, he knew he was fucked, and he knew his parents (or really, his mother) weren't going to let him forget it.

"I think another room would be best…" Lucy whispered.

"That settles it then," Idelle said. "Now, Bix, honey, how about you show Lucy to one of the rooms, and I'll send someone up with some fresh linen and towels. Oh, and I imagine you'll be needing something for Scarlett too, yes?"

"Uh, yeah, kinda," Bickslow said.

"Felix, do we still have that crib from when Elaina was a baby?"

"It should still be in Alex's room," Felix answered.

"Ah, of course. Well, we'll bring something up for you shortly," she said. "Now go, go relax and cool down!"

Bickslow rolled his eyes as his mother quite literally shooed him towards the stairs. "Fine… Going…" he mumbled. He already had the babies' souls in all of their bags so taking them to their rooms would be a piece of cake. Once Bickslow picked up Scarlett again though to finally head upstairs, Lucy was quick to follow.

Only once they had both disappeared up the stairs and into the corridor did Idelle turn to her husband who looked just as confused as she did, and asked, "Did he really introduce her as the _babysitter_?"

* * *

"So… Do you care to explain just how you have a daughter all of a sudden?" Idelle asked from where she sat at one end of the long dining table, taking a sip of her wine before she dug her fork back into her meal. "And why her mother isn't here instead of Lucy? No offence to you dear, of course."

Lucy shook her head. "None taken." It was a fair question, after all.

"Her mother left her on my doorstep two months ago and told me to deal with her," Bickslow answered. "That's how I have a daughter."

"She's not actually your child then?" Idelle asked.

"Oh. No, she's definitely mine. I, uh… I did actually make sure of that."

"What about her mother then? Where's she?"

"Honestly, I couldn't care less."

"Bickslow…" Idelle said softly. "Don't say that."

"No, I mean it. I really don't care where she is," he insisted. "She left the kid I didn't even know about on a doorstep, and _still_ dragged me to fucking court to try and take her away from me when I was the one who had actually looked after her. So, really, I don't give a shit where she is after what she did. I'm the one who has custody of Scout, not her."

Idelle opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it again and looked back down to her dinner plate. She was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that her eldest son had a child, much less with a woman that seemingly hadn't been part of his life for more than one night. But now hearing that he'd had trouble with keeping custody of Scarlet… It only made her worry.

But, she couldn't say that. She couldn't really say anything about it because she didn't want to risk pushing her son away again. Idelle still knew all too well how Bickslow felt when it came to others trying to tell him what to do.

She realised that she had no choice but to accept that Bickslow knew what he was doing. At least for now.

Bickslow pushed his chair back from the table after a few moments, rising to his feet to announce that he was going to go check on Scarlett. She hadn't slept as much as she usually did, being that they'd all spent most of the day on a train, so he'd wanted to have Scarlett get just a short nap in before her evening feed.

Lucy was almost inclined to follow him, since she was the apparent babysitter, after all. But instead, she only remained in the dining room, sitting as still and quietly as she could while pushing the leftover green salad around on her plate. With how uncomfortable she was, she couldn't help but regret going there. And right then, the fact that she was supposed to be staying there for at least a few more days just made her want to curl up in a ball and hide.

Thankfully, Bickslow returned a few minutes later with Scarlett held over his arm and a bottle of the formula in his hand. He had been smart enough to actually bring some with him, but he definitely hadn't brought enough to last him nearly a month.

His parents seemingly knew better than to ask about Scarlett again when he sat down. Instead, Felix looked up from his own plate and asked, "So how do you two know each other then?"

"Oh, yes! Excellent question!" Idelle agreed.

"The guild," Bickslow answered.

"You're a mage too then, Lucy?"

Lucy nodded and smiled politely. "I am."

Bickslow couldn't help but frown slightly. He got that Lucy was uncomfortable as all hell, but that didn't mean she had to limit all of her answers to one or two words. "Lucy's a Celestial Spirit mage," he said before either of his parents could ask anything else. "A really fucking great one, too, since she's kicked my ass twice."

"I'm not… I'm not _that_ great…" Lucy mumbled, cheeks and ears burning as she visibly shrunk in her chair.

"Shut up. You are."

Idelle had to hide her smile against her wine glass. "Well, Celestial magic sounds interesting. Perhaps you'll be able to tell me more about it before you leave?"

"I… I guess so…" Lucy said. She wasn't really sure why Bickslow's mother would actually want to know anything about her, but she supposed it would be rude to turn her down.

"How long have you been a member of Fairy Tail then?" Felix asked.

"Uh, a few years now, I suppose. Although I guess it would be about a decade now if I include the time where I was kind of, uh… frozen."

They knew all about the incident on the island. Not long after Bickslow had returned and announced that he'd become a guild mage, they'd bought a subscription to Sorcerer Magazine to try and keep tabs on him. The magazine had reported the apparent deaths of the mages, although they'd never printed any names. The only reason Idelle and Felix had known Bickslow had been involved was because he'd sent them a letter, telling them how excited he was to be going and helping Freed because the trials had made them all feel like they weren't really outsiders anymore.

What they hadn't known, however, was that Lucy had been caught up in it as well. But it seemed to make sense, seeing as Idelle would've had one hell of a hard time believing that the woman sitting at her dining table was actually nearing the end of her twenties.

Still, if Lucy had been on the island as well, then it would mean she'd known Bickslow for a few years at the very least, and something just wasn't quite adding up for Idelle. "I see…" she said softly. "But, that means you've known our Bixy for a little while as well, correct?"

Lucy nodded. "A few years, yeah," she answered.

"Even before you were, uh… frozen?"

"Not very well, but… Yes."

Idelle frowned. "He never mentioned you at all." Granted, Bickslow had only visited and spoken to them a few times since he'd first left, but Idelle still thought it would've come up in some kind of conversation.

Bickslow rolled his eyes. How he hadn't seen that coming, he had no clue. "I never said anything because I never saw the point in it," he explained, scowling at his parents across the table as he adjusted the small bottle for Scarlett in his hand. "Not like I knew you were trying to set us up anyway. I just figured it was a random coincidence."

"Nonsense. Of course you knew it was Lucy," Idelle scoffed.

"Ah, well, actually… Now that I think on it…" Felix chimed in, a sheepish smile on his mouth as he looked to his wife. "I might not have told him that…"

"What?"

Felix shrugged. "You knew he wasn't interested in anything to do with it. Seemed like a waste of time telling him anything about the merger and who it was with."

"See? Thank you. Dad didn't bother telling me so I didn't know you were trying to get involved with the Heartfilias," Bickslow said before he continued quietly, "Besides, even if I had know, I don't think you would've wanted to hear that I technically tried to kill her when I actually met her."

"E-Excuse me?" Idelle spluttered.

"It's a long story."

* * *

With her husband having retreated into his study for the rest of the evening, Idelle went off in search of her son. The last she'd seen he'd been heading outside with Scarlett, so that was where she was going to look first.

She found him a few minutes later on the swing at the back of the main garden, just barely rocking under the large oak tree from the hint of the breeze that night. Idelle wasn't surprised to find Bickslow there since she'd lost count of how many times she'd found him in that same spot practising with the babies or doing god knows what else with them when he'd been younger. Now though, he had his actual baby, and Idelle found that she enjoyed the image.

Bickslow pulled his feet down from the other end of the seat when he looked up and saw his mother, making room for her to sit down beside him. She smiled down at the infant tucked peacefully against him for a moment before she quietly asked, "How old is she again?"

"About nine weeks."

"I remember when you were that small," Idelle recalled fondly. "You were such a _horrible_ baby."

Bickslow rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks," he mumbled.

"Oh, come on. You know I love you." She reached around just to squeeze his shoulder, sliding towards him on the bench just to look down at Scarlett with a soft smile. "But, really, you were the _worst_ ," Idelle continued, tucking the loose strand of chestnut hair from her bun back behind her ear. "You were such a fussy baby. And you cried _all_ the time. No one could ever figure out what was wrong. Even the doctors we visited couldn't figure it out."

"Maybe I just really liked making you suffer."

"Honestly, I'm fairly certain that's what it was." But that was fine. She still loved him all the same, even if he had _almost_ made her decide to never have another child again. "There was this time though, where you just cried all night. I think you were about five months old at the time. I'd tried absolutely everything I could think of, but you still cried and you still screamed. And, of course, my parents were staying with us that week, so your grandfather walked in at one point to find me curled up on the floor with a pillow over my head, just to tell me to quit crying over it, go to sleep and let you cry it out."

Bickslow raised an eyebrow at his mother. "Seriously?" While he thought the image of his mother on the floor with a pillow over her head was a little entertaining, he also knew that his maternal grandparents were not exactly the nicest people, at least when it came to children.

"Yep. And do you know what I did?"

"…You went back to bed?"

"No. I _politely_ told my father to go away, and went back to trying to get you to stop screaming at me."

Bickslow couldn't help but laugh quietly to himself for a second. He could only imagine what his grandfather's reaction had been, but he knew that whatever it had been, it would've been ten times worse had it been Felix telling him to fuck off – in those exact words, too. His father and grandfather had never really gotten along, as far as Bickslow knew. "How'd you get me to stop then?" he asked.

"I never really figured that out, either," Idelle sighed. "I was tempted to just let you cry yourself back to sleep, I was that tired. But I eventually just picked you up again and you stopped almost instantly. You didn't really cry much after that night, either."

"Huh. That's odd," Bickslow mumbled. "But, anyway… Was there a point to that story?"

Idelle gave a small shrug. "Not really, no. I guess I just… I see you with your daughter and it brings back all these memories from when you and Alex were young…" It was strange though, since that hadn't really happened when her first niece had been born. She'd told Alex his fair share of embarrassing stories from when he'd been a baby, but it was different with Bickslow.

She knew she wasn't supposed to play favourites with her children, but she did anyway, even if she really hated it. She adored them both to pieces, but Bickslow… Bickslow had always held a special place in her heart. She'd never been able to tell what the reason was, though. Perhaps it was because he was her firstborn, or perhaps it was because he'd done the one thing she'd spent half of her life fantasising about and actually made his own life.

Whatever the case was, Idelle still couldn't help but find it a little strange that Bickslow had a child. When Alex and his wife had welcomed their daughter into the world, she'd been nothing but thrilled for them. With Bickslow though, she was more concerned than anything else.

She tucked her foot under her knee on the bench and watched them carefully for another moment. Scarlett yawned and squirmed but Bickslow didn't let her wriggle out of his grasp. "Was she really just left by your door for you to find?" she asked.

Bickslow nodded. "Yep. In a basket and all," he answered, mindlessly stroking one of Scarlett's little hands. "Dropped her off with a letter saying I'd ruined her life and that the kid was my problem now."

"Scarlett's mother?" Idelle asked, and Bickslow nodded. She let out a little sigh. "The poor thing." She couldn't understand how anyone could do that to a child, much less one they'd carried for the better part of a year.

"I guess it was just a good thing I was actually home."

"I suppose that's true. But, Bix…"

Bickslow tipped his head back against the wooden bench and sighed heavily. "I knew this was coming. I _knew_ it." He was kind of surprised it had taken that long at all.

"Knew what?" Idelle wondered.

"You're going to ask me if I'm sure about it, and if I know what I'm doing and if I'm really serious about keeping Katie out of Scout's life for as long as I can." Idelle pursed her lips and remained silent. "You're disappointed in me, I know that," Bickslow added. He'd told Lucy his parents would be disappointed once they knew, but she'd just said that he was being stupid. But he knew his parents. He knew what they thought and what they still partially expected of him, and everything with Scarlett… They'd raised him better than that, so they were bound to be disappointed.

"I'm not disappointed, Bickslow," Idelle said softly.

"Come on. Just be real with me for once."

Bickslow had always been perceptive. Idelle had liked to tell herself that it was because of the magic he'd developed. And while she'd always supported that and him, there were times where that particular trait had been one she almost hated. It was mostly because it went with his stubbornness. Right then, he was being stubborn in his belief that she was disappointed, and the worst part was that it was another time where he wasn't exactly wrong.

But, while she wanted to deny it, he was an adult and he deserved better, so Idelle knew she couldn't lie to him. She had to be truthful, even if she risked pushing Bickslow back away that little bit more.

"Fine," she sighed. "Am I disappointed that you were reckless and just plain _stupid_ , and that you got a woman that I'm assuming you didn't even know the last name of pregnant? Yes, I am. I _hoped_ you'd be a little more mature and you'd be in some kind of lasting relationship before you had any children, if you did at all."

"…It wasn't like I wanted it to happen…" Bickslow mumbled.

"I know you didn't. But, Bix, I just want what's best for you. I want what's best for your daughter, too. I just want to make sure you made the right decision. That's all."

"I'm trying to be that for her…"

"Okay then."

"Okay?" Bickslow repeated.

Idelle smiled softly at her son. "I'm not here to tell you what to do. I'm here to support you," she said. Did she doubt Bickslow? Sure she did. But she had to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe that he knew what he was doing and that he hadn't just gotten himself into something that could potentially ruin his life. She still wished that Scarlett had come to exist under different circumstances, but there was nothing she could do about that. "If you believe you can handle raising her without her mother, then so be it. I believe in you, and I know your father does as well."

Bickslow still didn't really believe he could do it, regardless of Katie, but Lucy believed in him and that was enough for him. His parents not making it outwardly obvious that they were disappointed in his fuck-ups just made it easier for him, because their reactions to Scarlett was one of the things he'd worried about the most.

"It's lovely name, though," Idelle mused after a moment. "Scarlett. It's very pretty."

"Yeah… I guess…" Bickslow agreed. "I usually just call her Scout though. It's kind of stuck now."

"Oh, no. Scarlett is much nicer than Scout," she scoffed. Though she knew why Bickslow had it stuck in his head. "Did you choose it? Or did her mother?"

"Lucy chose it."

"Is that so?"

Bickslow grimaced slightly as he shied away as much as he could on the swinging bench. He knew that look, that mischievous glint that sparkled in the deep red eyes that he'd definitely inherited from her. Bickslow had seen it multiple times over the years, and multiple times that night alone. It terrified him. "What? Why are you making that face? Don't make that face. It's weird. Stop it."

Idelle rolled her eyes and a gentle peal of laughter slipped past her lips. "Oh, shush," she laughed. "I'm just curious, is all."

"…About?"

"Your _babysitter_."

Bickslow had been waiting for that, too. "Oh god. Please don't," he groaned.

"What? Just tell me how Lucy fits into all of this." Aside from the fact that Idelle was very much convinced that Lucy wasn't _just_ Scarlett's _babysitter_ and that she was probably more important than Bickslow cared to let on, Idelle was genuinely curious about her. How was it that Lucy Heartfilia of all people had come to give her new granddaughter her name?

Idelle could accept them ending up in the same guild together and becoming somewhat friends as just one hell of a coincidence, but she knew that there was something more to it.

"I don't know…" Bickslow mumbled.

"You are a horrible liar and you know it."

"I am not!" Okay, so maybe, he was. But that wasn't the point. "What do you even want me say anyway?"

"Well, for starters, why did Lucy choose Scarlett's name?" Idelle asked.

"Because I couldn't think of anything and she needed a name, and Lucy suggested Scarlett and I liked it." It wasn't exactly a big deal or anything. Anyone could've suggested a name for all he cared.

Idelle nodded. "Alright then. How about why she's here then?"

"I, uh…" _Fuck_. Still, he didn't really have an answer, and Bickslow sure as hell wasn't going to tell his mother that he'd technically invited Lucy because he'd been scared about the stupid _tether_ causing problems. He would rather die that tell his parents, especially his mother, that the girl they'd been trying to get him to marry a decade earlier was also his literal fucking soulmate. "I just wanted her here," he answered. _Fuck, that's weak._ "Sorry, I guess… It was kind of last minute so I didn't really have time to let you know that I was bringing someone and—"

"Bix, I wasn't asking for an apology. I don't mind that you invited her. You know we have the space. I just wanted to know _why_."

Bickslow shrugged. "Like I said, I just wanted her here."

"But why?" Idelle pressed. "And I swear to god, if you say it's because she's Scarlett's babysitter, I might actually slap you."

He was really never going to live that down. Bickslow was sure the only reason Lucy hadn't already slapped him for it herself was because they hadn't had a chance to talk by themselves since they'd arrived. Still, he needed an answer for his mother to get her off his back. "Because… Because I just like having her around." It's not like it was a lie. "And I don't want to talk about this."

Idelle suspected there was a reason Bickslow was being purposely vague, but she decided to leave it. "Hmm, okay..." she hummed. "Where is she anyway? I haven't seen her since dinner."

Bickslow hadn't really seen her either. He was kind of worried about it, too. "I think she went to bed," he said. "Or at least that's what she said she was doing. I don't really know."

"I see… Well, you did spend a lot of the day travelling, and she's probably not used to the heat up here as well. An early night isn't such a bad idea – for you as well."

"Yeah, I was planning on going in soon," he mumbled. "Just wanted to wait until Scout had settled a bit." He'd fed her just before heading outside where it was cooler so she wasn't due for another bottle for a few more hours. It was about Scarlett's usual bedtime anyway.

"That's fair enough." Idelle stood from the swing carefully and then gently patted Bickslow on his shoulder. "Well, I'm going to head back in. Dad'll no doubt need some help with the order forms again…"

"Duh."

"Anyway, don't stay up too late. It's going to be warmer tomorrow. You'll need a good night's sleep."

Bickslow nodded. "I won't. Good night."

* * *

Eventually, Bickslow made it back inside to put Scarlett to sleep in the crib his parents had brought in for him. He almost decided to just finish unpacking his clothes and get ready for bed himself, but instead set the babies into the crib with Scarlett to keep an eye on her while he went to see Lucy. It had really only been a little over an hour since Lucy had said she was going to bed, and while she actually could've gone straight to bed, Bickslow doubted it and assumed (and hoped) that she'd still be awake.

Her room was the guest room closest to his own, just a few doors down the hall. When he reached the door, Bickslow had to remind himself not to just walk straight in. He figured Lucy would be wanting her privacy right about then, especially since she'd made a point of disappearing for the night. Bickslow didn't really blame her for it, though.

He knocked on the door gently before he pushed it open a fraction. "Cosplayer?"

"Mm, come in," Lucy mumbled.

Bickslow pushed the door the rest of the way open and then closed it behind himself again. The large bed sat to the right of the door and Bickslow had a perfect view of Lucy propped up by the outrageous amount of pillows that were usually sitting on it. The lights on either side were still on, so Bickslow knew she hadn't been asleep. Besides, no sane person could actually sleep the way she was sitting anyway, curled up on her side at an awkward angle thanks to all the pillows surrounding her.

"I thought you said you were going to bed."

"I said bed, not to sleep," Lucy said. She lifted up the book she had open on one pillow beside her to point it out for Bickslow to see. "It was too early to go to sleep."

"Ah, right." Bickslow nodded as he moved a couple of the small cushions out of the way to climb up onto the edge of the bed, prying the book from Lucy's fingers and setting it down on the bedside table so he could take the place of the pillow she'd been resting it on. "So it was just so you could avoid people. Got it."

"That's not… I wasn't—"

"Relax. I know you hate it here," Bickslow said softly. He settled himself down into the way too soft pillows and wound his arm around Lucy's shoulders, pulling her into his side. "It's fine."

"I don't _hate_ it here…" Lucy mumbled. It took her a moment to relax again, resting her head against his chest and bringing her knees up.

Bickslow rolled his eyes at her. "Fine, you don't like it here," he corrected himself. "You're uncomfortable being here. I know that. And I'm sorry for bringing you." He still didn't quite know what he'd been thinking, and he certainly didn't know what Lucy had been thinking when she'd agreed to it, but either way it was his fault.

"You're not the one who needs to be sorry for anything. I'm the one who agreed to it," she said. "But it's just… It's _weird_ …" She felt ridiculously out of place, like she didn't belong there at all, and it was horrible. The worst part was that she just couldn't figure out why. That wasn't even taking into consideration the fact that you usually didn't take _friends_ home for the holidays to meet the parents.

"I know it is. If you want to though, you can go back to Magnolia in the morning. I'll… buy your train ticket and organise a ride back to the station so you can leave first thing."

Lucy shook her head. "No, it's okay. That'd just make things worse anyway. Your parents would know something was wrong then and I don't want to be rude."

"Are you sure? I really don't think they'd mind."

"I'm sure." It wasn't worth risking it, and the last thing she wanted was to insult Bickslow's parents. They'd already been so gracious with her already. "It's just for a few days anyway. I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Well, if you say so." He preferred Lucy to stay, so he was glad that she'd stick it out until after Christmas.

"Anyway. Where's Scout? Shouldn't you be looking after her?" Lucy asked.

Bickslow shrugged a little. "She's asleep in my room. I have the babies watching her so I know she's fine," he answered. She was still fast asleep, and strangely enough, he had left her in a room by herself more than a few times. He didn't need to be watching her every hour of every day. Sure, she was cute, but she was also kind of boring to watch when she was sleeping. "Unless… That was a hint that you wanted me to leave you alone…" he continued carefully.

"Oh. Well, I don't really mind…" she mumbled. "You can stay if you want, although I'm not really sure if I'll be great company right now… I kind of have a headache and I was just going to try and read for a little while longer…" Although if Bickslow just sat there in silence, Lucy wouldn't have a problem with it. She just wasn't sure if that was something he wanted to do. She figured that he was there to talk if anything.

Bickslow only reached for the book again to hand it back to Lucy. "That's fine. You can read," he said. "Do you want me to get you some water? If you have a headache then you're probably dehy—"

"Bix, I'm fine, but thank you."

He was hesitant to accept it, but he did it anyway. He'd just have to do his best to remind Lucy to stay hydrated for the rest of the time she was there. The last thing Bickslow wanted was to have Lucy passing out on him.

Lucy could only read a few pages of her book before she found herself re-reading the same sentence for what had to be the tenth time. She really didn't mind Bickslow just sitting there – if anything, she found it quite nice – but she couldn't bring herself to stop worrying about something she was sure was absolutely pointless.

"Hey, uh… Bix?" she began softly, closing her book over her hand and tilting her head up slightly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Earlier today…"

 _Oh no. Oh god no. Not this._

"When we first got here, and you were introducing me…" Lucy continued slowly. Bickslow grimaced and braced for the worst. "I mean, I kind of expected your parents to assume that I was Scout's mother, and that's fine, but… Then you said I was her _babysitter_ , and I just…" She paused to consider her words, biting her tongue before she finally continued, "That's not all I am to you, right?"

It really wasn't like she'd been expecting him to say she was his girlfriend or anything, because that really would've been stupid. But the babysitter? It was half true, but Lucy had just thought that Bickslow saw her as more than that. Now she wasn't so sure.

And, while Bickslow had been able to drop the subject with his mother, he couldn't do the same for Lucy. He didn't really want to, either, especially now that Lucy was thinking he'd actually meant it.

"No, god no," Bickslow said. He gave her arm a gentle squeeze as he pulled her back into his side. "You're way more than that." Was he going to tell her just how much more she was to him? Fuck no.

She gave a small nod, knowing that there was truth to his words. Even if it was true though, it didn't explain why he'd said it at all, and that still worried her. "Why did you say it then?"

Bickslow shrugged. "I panicked. I didn't know what else to say, and then I just… said _that_."

"You could've just said I was your friend…"

"That wouldn't have done you justice." In hindsight, he wished he's said _friend_ instead, but it still wouldn't have quite been enough anyway. All he had left to do was fix it, although Bickslow did find it just a little amusing how just one word had caused so many problems. "If it makes you feel better, I'll tell them in the morning that I was just kidding when I said you were Scout's babysitter. Although, I'm not really sure that'll even do much since my mother just threatened to slap me if I called you the babysitter again…"

"Did she actually?"

"Oh yeah. Definitely."

Lucy smiled fondly to herself as she dropped her head back to Bickslow's chest. "I think I like her," she mused. Although she was just a little concerned about what kind of conversation Bickslow and his mother had been having, since clearly, she'd been the topic of it.

"Yeah, I bet you do," Bickslow mumbled. Now that he thought about it though, he was sure Lucy would get along with his mother, perhaps even _too_ well. It was a terrifying thought. _Better not leave those two alone._ They'd probably gang up on him. "Well, I should probably back anyway and let you get back to your book." He made to pull himself away from Lucy and get off the mountain of pillows when Lucy dropped her book and threw her arm over his middle to keep him there.

"Wait. Just… stay. Just for a few more minutes." She still didn't care if they talked, but for a little while, she wanted to just lay there with Bickslow and basically do nothing. It _almost_ felt normal, like they were just back in Magnolia and were sitting up after watching one of Bickslow's stupid horror movies, and Lucy just wanted to savour that for a moment.

She only hoped that the rest of her time there would be a little more comfortable.

* * *

 _A much short chapter this time around. I was planning on holding onto this until December, but I figured it'd be a while before I updated this anyway so I decided to post it now. I planned on making this a little longer, but I thought it ended in a reasonably nice spot, and since Astrantia is kind of its own mini-arc in this AU, I thought a shorter chapter would be nice since it's more of like an opening for it. Make sense?_

 _Anyway. BixCo Week starts Tuesday! I've had all of my chapters done for a while now so I'm excited to post them... Especially since three of them tie into some other AUs. The prompts/opening chapter are already posted on here._

 _As always, reviews are appreciated. Thank you to those who have left them over the last few chapters!_


	16. Family Affairs

"Cosplayer… Rise and shine, Cosplayer."

Lucy groaned into her pillow as she slowly peeked an eye open. She had no idea what time it was, but she had a feeling it was far too early to be awake, especially when she'd spent most of the night tossing and turning and trying to get comfortable.

She felt the bed dip slightly before she managed to open her eyes, just to see Bickslow placing Scarlett down in front of her. She couldn't help but smile at the little face. Scarlett was hard not to smile at. "Come on, that's cheating," Lucy mumbled. "You can't use Scout to get me up."

"Can't I?" Bickslow moved the spare pillows back so he could sit himself on the bed. He didn't think it was cheating. Granted, he did know that Scarlett had a face that was literally impossible to say no to (although why Lucy would want to say no to a baby anyway, Bickslow had no idea), but it definitely wasn't cheating putting his adorable daughter right in front of her while trying to drag her out of bed. Nope. Bribing with baby cuddles wasn't happening – at least that morning, or so Bickslow was going to argue. But, since Scarlett definitely wasn't working for him, he carefully leant over her to just barely tilt Lucy's head up and press their lips together softly for a moment. "You still have to get up though," he murmured. He still wasn't cheating.

Lucy sighed and smiled into the pillow once he pulled away. She wasn't sure if Bickslow kissing her was supposed to be helping, since it only made her want to stay in bed, assuming that was what she got for it. "Mm, I don't want to. Not yet."

"I realised," Bickslow chuckled. He yanked the pillow out from under her head to throw it to the other end of the bed. "But you gotta get up. Come on."

Groaning, Lucy ceded and finally sat up sluggishly, careful to avoid Scarlett still lying next to her in the middle of the bed. "What time is it anyway?"

"About eight. Breakfast is downstairs if you want it."

"Have you had any yet?'

"Not yet. I haven't been up for long anyway." Climbing off the bed, Bickslow picked Scarlett back up and held her against his side while he went to go close the curtains in the room. Of all the things his childhood house didn't have, it was air-conditioning. Ceiling fans could only do so much. "Anyway, it's going to be even hotter today. Keep these closed otherwise it'll get too hot in here later."

"Great…" she mumbled. Aside from how awkward Lucy felt being there, the heat was probably what she hated most about Astrantia so far. She wasn't even sure how it could be any hotter, either, and if that was their winter, Lucy certainly didn't want to know what summer was like. Pulling herself out of bed, she went over to her suitcase to find some clothes for the day. Thankfully, she'd taken Bickslow's advice earlier and packed warmer weather clothes. "What's the plan for today then? After breakfast, I mean."

Bickslow shrugged. He never really had plans when he visited his parents. He kind of just went with the flow. Lucy being there changed things just a little bit. Ducking into the bathroom to change, Lucy didn't close the door so Bickslow was free to continue the conversation and give his answer. "There isn't one. Not really, at least. I want to go into town and pick up some stuff for Scout before the stores close over Christmas. You can come with me if you want," he said. "And then… I can show you around outside or something. I don't know. It's up to you, I guess."

"Or… You could show me around the town and we could make a day of it?"

"If that didn't just sound like an excuse to get away from my parents, then sure."

"It's not an excuse…"

"Sure it's not."

So, it might've been a little bit of an excuse, but she did also like the idea of getting to see a bit more of Astrantia. Finishing dressing, Lucy grabbed her hairbrush from where she'd left it by the sink to begin running it through the tangles in her hair, walking slowly back into the bedroom. "Well, I mean… I can't say that you're wrong, but…" She sat down on the edge of the bed to finish brushing her hair over her shoulder, tucking her feet under her. "But you know what I think of all this."

Oh, Bickslow knew. He knew all too well that she thought it was all weird and that she really hated being there. And he still didn't blame her for that. That didn't mean he liked it though, or could tolerate it, because he honestly couldn't. Lucy had decided to stick it out for the rest of the time she was there, and Bickslow sure as hell wasn't going to let her hide upstairs.

What he could do, was risk pissing her off to make her see that she really had no reason to be uncomfortable. His parents were… reasonable people. Teasing, perhaps, but they weren't horrible or anything. And, despite what Lucy still somehow thought, they didn't hate her. Bickslow wasn't even sure how anyone could hate Lucy, but then again, he was probably a little biased. Still, his parents didn't hate her, they didn't at all mind that she was staying with them, and the only one who seemed to still think everything was super strange was Lucy. Bickslow had already moved on from that.

Well, mostly.

So, taking Scarlett with him, he walked up to Lucy on the bed and held his daughter out to her, forcing Lucy to take the infant into her arms and drop her brush. "New plan," he said before Lucy could question him. "I'm going to go into town to pick up some stuff for her, and you're going to stay here and watch her for me."

"What? No!"

"Yes. Already going." And he really was already quite literally going, waving back at her as he made for the door to the hall. "She really needs to be fed, by the way. The formula is in the kitchen downstairs!"

"Bickslow, you get back here right now!" Lucy got up as quickly as she could while holding Scarlett just to chase after the moronic Seith mage. By the time she got to the hall, he was already out of sight. Lucy wouldn't put it past him to have run all the way downstairs just to get away from her right then. Of all the things that Bickslow could've done to her, Lucy really hadn't expected him to actually leave her alone with his parents, especially when he knew how she felt. She could only sigh and shake her head as she ducked back into her room to finish becoming somewhat presentable before heading downstairs. "Your father is an absolute menace, Scarlett."

Before Bickslow did actually leave, he managed to find his mother sitting downstairs with her own breakfast and with the town's local paper laid out in front of her. As willing as he was to leave Lucy to fend for herself for a little while, he couldn't do it without first telling his mother to behave. Who knew what chaos he'd return to.

"Bix! Oh good, you're up," Idelle said cheerfully as she looked up. "I wanted to let you know that—"

"Tell me later," Bickslow quickly interrupted. "Gotta head out for a bit to pick up some things for Scout, and I want to go before it gets too hot out."

"Oh… Okay…"

He snagged a piece of the buttered toast off her plate before she could swat his hand away with a scowl. "Oh, and," he added, mouth full, "Lucy's staying here to look after Scout, so, you know, be nice, okay?"

"What do you mean, be nice? I'm always nice!"

"I know, but you're also my mother, and I brought a girl home so it's basically your job to try and scare her away."

"Rubbish," Idelle scoffed. Well, it was kind of true. "But fine, I'll be nice and I won't scare your little babysitter away." Although really, she had no intentions of scaring Lucy away anyway. She was just curious about her.

Bickslow grimaced. That was exactly why he'd been scared of leaving his mother alone with Lucy – she was bound to make him want to bury himself in a hole and never come out. "Mum, come on."

"Oh, I'm just kidding." She turned her attention back to her paper and tea and swatted her son's arm to get him to go away. "Now go on, go before it gets too hot. You don't need to worry about me."

Bickslow was doubtful.

* * *

Not long after Bickslow had left, Lucy ventured downstairs to get Scarlett her morning bottle. She knew vaguely where the kitchen was, so thankfully, she didn't need to ask anyone for directions to it. Unfortunately for Lucy, Idelle just happened to be in the kitchen and getting herself some more juice.

"Oh! Good morning, Lucy," Idelle greeted her cheerfully. "And little Scarlett! Oh, she's such a precious little thing." She couldn't resist from rushing over to gently squeeze her newest granddaughter's little cheeks.

"Ah, morning, Mrs. Redfarrow…" Lucy responded politely. She'd been hoping to avoid talking to either one of Bickslow's parents until he got back (and until she could kick his ass all the way back to Magnolia for pulling that on her), but it seemed the universe had other plans.

Idelle rolled her eyes as she returned to the counter to put the pitcher of juice back into the fridge. "Please, call me Idelle," she insisted. Lucy could only nod and give another polite smile, making a point of searching for something around the large kitchen. Idelle watched her for a moment, taking a sip of the tropical juice. "Did you sleep well, Lucy?" she asked after a moment.

"Um, I guess so."

"Oh, come now. I've lived here my whole life and I've never met a single person who has stayed here in December and has slept perfectly." It was simply impossible. Idelle supposed that Lucy was just trying to be nice since she was the guest, but it wasn't at all necessary. Like she did with all her house guests, Idelle only wished for Lucy to be comfortable and happy there. Unfortunately, their weather patterns happened to make that difficult sometimes.

Lucy glanced back just to see Idelle aiming a slight smirk in her direction. At that point, she was beginning to think the Redfarrows were just all smirks and sass, and she wasn't doubting where Bickslow had picked it up. Still, the fact that Idelle knew she was lying just made Lucy way too uncomfortable, and Lucy knew she had no hope in hell of convincing the woman that she actually had slept the night before. Idelle just knew better.

"W-Well, I mean… I did have trouble getting to sleep at first…" Lucy admitted. "But not because the bed wasn't comfortable or anything! Just… Just because it was hot."

"I know. Hopefully it will be a little cooler tonight and you'll be able to sleep a little better."

That Lucy definitely agreed with. With Scarlett still against her hip, she scoured the kitchen for the baby formula and hopefully an empty bottle to mix it in. Knowing Bickslow, it wouldn't be labelled, so she only hoped to spot something that seemed reasonably out of place. Everything else in the room was neatly arranged and matched almost perfectly, from the mint green tea towels hanging on the oven door to the matching placemats at the bright breakfast nook, and to all the fancy decorative labels on every single glass jar.

"I'm assuming you're looking for this."

Lucy turned to find Idelle holding a small plastic container with a slightly yellow powder. _Damn it._ Why did Idelle have to be useful? It made her hard to avoid. "Ah, yeah… Thanks…" She looked for a bottle next, but really, Lucy knew she'd have no choice but to ask for help with that, because she didn't exactly like the idea of going through every cupboard in the room just to find one tiny bottle. "You, uh… You don't happen to know where Bix left a bottle lying around, do you?"

"You know, I saw it this morning… Where did I see it…" Idelle looked around the room with a hand on her hip before she settled on the sink under the window. "Oh! That's where." Bickslow had left it on the sink to dry from the night before, or so Idelle assumed. She rushed over to pick up the bottle and the cap to deliver them to Lucy, who was already trying to get the lid off the formula container without spilling it everywhere or dropping Scarlett. "Come on, give her here. I'll hold her while you do that. I need to catch up on my cuddles with her anyway," she said, holding her arms out to take Scarlett from Lucy.

"That would be great, thanks."

She held Scarlett high to snuggle her cheek, only sighing blissfully when the infant cooed softly; it had been too long since there'd been an actual baby around for her to cuddle, and Idelle really liked babies. Well, most of them. "Oh, you are just too adorable for words!" she said, lifting Scarlett up higher before bringing her back down for more snuggles. "And I can't wait to spoil you! Oh no I can't! Because I'm your grandma and that's what grandmas do."

Lucy tried not to roll her eyes.

"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say she looks like you," Idelle said.

"What? No. She looks nothing like me," Lucy scoffed, almost dropping the level scoop of the powder. "Not that she would anyway, because I'm not her mother."

"I know, but she still looks a little like you."

"She looks like Bix."

"Only because she has his eyes." She still thought Scarlett looked a little like Lucy, but maybe she was just imagining it. Idelle couldn't help but wonder what her actual mother looked like though.

Letting out a sigh, Idelle handed the baby back to Lucy once she'd gotten the formula mixed up, and then leant over the edge of the counter with her chin in her palm to watch Lucy sit at the breakfast nook. There was still some things about Lucy she was curious about, and without Bickslow there to tell her off for being nosy and embarrassing him (or whatever excuse he could come up), Idelle was free to ask anything she liked. Or so she liked to think. She was still behaving anyway.

"So how did you get involved with all this?" Idelle finally sked.

Lucy glanced up as she adjusted the bottle for Scarlett. "What do you mean?"

"You know, with Scarlett." She already knew that Scarlett had her name because of Lucy, and that she'd known Bickslow for a few years now (although Idelle was still having trouble wrapping her head around that). There had to be a reason for Lucy of all people being Bickslow's new _babysitter_ , and Idelle was fairly certain Bickslow wasn't going to give her the answer. "How did you come to be involved with Scarlett and Bix this way?"

"Well, um… Bix asked me for help when he first found out about her, and I guess I just stuck around…"

"He asked you for help? What with?"

"With everything, I suppose," Lucy answered. She wasn't quite sure Bickslow would be thrilled to know she was admitting that to his mother, but… Well, that was what he got for leaving her there. Besides, it was only his mother she was talking to. If she was going to blab to anyone about how oblivious Bickslow had been just a couple of months earlier, then Idelle really wasn't a bad choice. Mostly, Lucy just wanted to make Bickslow suffer a little. "I mean, he didn't know if he was going to keep her or give her up for adoption, and it wasn't like he knew how to take care of a baby in the meantime anyway. He just needed someone to show him the ropes, I guess. Not that I really know what I'm doing or anything…"

Idelle nodded slowly. "So you convinced him to keep Scarlett then?"

 _That sounded mildly accusatory._ She certainly hadn't persuaded Bickslow into doing something he wasn't willing to do, if that was what Idelle was implying. Lucy tried to convince herself she was imagining it. "Well, I wouldn't say that I _convinced_ him to do anything…" she said, adjusting her wrist just a fraction for Scarlett resting in her arm. "I just… I offered him some guidance, and the support to make whatever decision he thought was best. That's all."

"I see…" Idelle thought that it made sense. She still didn't know why it was Lucy and not anyone else, though. That last she'd checked, his team in Fairy Tail were the closest to him, and if he was to go to anyone for help, Idelle just assumed it would be them. The way she saw it, it should be one of them sitting where Lucy was. "But, why you, though?" she asked then, straightening up to grab a banana from the fruit bowl on the large centre island. "Not that there's anything wrong with you dear, I just mean that there has to be a reason that he asked you for help with everything."

And Bickslow said she didn't have anything to worry about when it came to his parents not liking her. Because as far as Lucy could tell, Idelle really didn't seem to like her at all. Still, Lucy hadn't really figured out why Bickslow had gone to her over his team. He'd told her before that it was really just because wanted someone smart and he'd known his team would automatically tell him to give the kid up, but Lucy still wasn't convinced that was all.

"I think… I think he just wanted someone he could trust," Lucy answered after a moment. Scarlett had finished more of the bottle than Lucy had expected, so she only hoped Scarlett wasn't just going to go throw it all up on her in the next thirty minutes. "Or someone who would at least know what to do with Scarlett until he decided what to do. I'm… I'm not really sure."

It wasn't as if Idelle was judging Bickslow's decisions. She'd just wanted to know the reasoning behind it all. Although judging from what Lucy said, perhaps there wasn't really much to it. Perhaps it was simple and Bickslow had just known from his friendship with Lucy that she was the right person to help him figure things out with her daughter.

Although how that had turned into her sticking around for two months and ending up visiting for Christmas, Idelle wasn't sure. That was going to be difficult to figure out for sure though. She had a feeling it wasn't quite so simple with Lucy, at least not anymore. Bickslow was most definitely keeping something to himself about why Lucy was there.

"Well, it clearly worked out, so it seems he made the right choice going to you," Idelle said with a smile, reaching for the glass of juice she'd poured before Lucy had come downstairs. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find my husband before our other son arrives. Oh, you'll love Alex, by the way. He's wonderful."

"O-Oh, right, okay…" _More Redfarrows… Great._

"Anyway, do help yourself to some breakfast. You must remember to eat in this weather," she continued, already heading for the adjoined dining room again. "There's some bread on the counter for some toast, otherwise there's yoghurt and some more fruit and juice in the fridge. I think there's even some cereal in the pantry. You'll have to forgive me, the kitchen is Felix's domain, not mine."

"I'm sure I'll find something. Thank you." Lucy nodded and returned the smile before she went back to feeding Scarlett. Really, all she wanted was some coffee, but it was already too hot for that. Hoping that Bickslow brought her back some iced coffee or something would just be wishful thinking, too.

* * *

At some point, Bickslow decided it was time to head home and rescue Lucy from his mother. He had purposely taken a little longer than necessary, but not long enough that Lucy would actually want to murder him for leaving her there. No, he'd been gone just long enough that she'd probably want to throw something at his head and remind him just how filthy some of the things that came out of her mouth could be.

That was fine.

By the time he'd finished getting everything he needed, as well as some breakfast for himself, it had been getting too hot out in the sun anyway, so Bickslow hadn't exactly had much choice in going back home. He could handle the Astrantia heat, but that didn't mean he could stand out in the sun all day and not feel like he was melting into a literal puddle.

Still, even if Bickslow was going home, he had no intentions of rescuing Lucy _immediately_. Oh no. When he reached the front gate to his family's home again, he only continued past them on the babies to head to the back of the property and sneak his way inside.

He needed to go somewhere that Lucy wouldn't find him (which would be easy, since she didn't know her way around yet), and somewhere that his parents wouldn't find him either. And, with it being close to 10 a.m., Bickslow figured it was safe to assume that the pool house would be empty. It had barely been used when he had lived there, and it was really only extra storage for some old furniture and an extra guest room should they ever need it.

Stepping down from the babies just at the back of the small limestone building, he took a sip of the iced coffee he'd picked up before he balanced it on one of the totems to free up his hands to open up one of the windows. The door was almost always locked, being that the pool house was never used, and he didn't have a key and he certainly had no intentions of going into the main house to get it. He stepped into the neat garden, careful not to step on his mother's favourite petunias, and dropped the bag with Scarlett's items to flick the latch on the outside of the window and open up the two panes. He'd barely put his knee up over the window frame to begin climbing in before he heard a familiar voice.

"What the hell are you doing now?"

Bickslow froze and looked to where the voice had come from. His father sat on one of the plush chairs, a drink in his hand, and looking over his shoulder to the window with his eyebrows raised. Felix was just as surprised to see Bickslow there as Bickslow was to see his dad there.

Still, with one foot in the window, Bickslow only cleared his throat and climbed the rest of the way in. "I, uh… Nothing. Just nothing." He reached back out the window to pick up the shopping bag once he was in, and then grabbed his coffee from on top of Pippi before closing the window back up again. "What are you doing here?" Bickslow asked.

Felix shrugged and took the last sip of his drink. "Hiding from your mother."

Bickslow snorted as he sat down next to his cowardly father. "Nice."

"Why are _you_ out here then?"

"Uh… Would you question it if I said I'm hiding from my girlfriend?"

Felix shook his head. "Nope. Not at all." He knew better than to question it. It was just a little amusing, though.

"Then I'm going with that," Bickslow said quickly. So, she wasn't technically his girlfriend, but whatever, it was close enough. Sort of. She was a girl he really liked and would no doubt want to kill him in the next hour, so, girlfriend. And it was his dad he was talking to anyway, so he had nothing to worry about. Hopefully. "Do I want to know why you're hiding from Mum?"

"Alex is coming today to finish a contract," Felix sighed heavily, reminding himself that it was far too early to pour himself another drink. One drink was fine, but two was pushing it. "And Mum is looking for me to get a start on it before he gets here," he explained.

"Ah, fair point…"

"Now why are you hiding from Lucy?" Felix asked. "And where's your daughter? You didn't forget about her, did you?"

"No, I did not, thank you," Bickslow grumbled. He wasn't sure he was actually capable of forgetting about Scarlett. "She's with Lucy. And, I'm hiding from her because I'm not quite ready to die. Just give me a few minutes and I'll be fine."

"Do I even want to know what you did?"

"Left her here while I went out."

Felix sighed again and reached over to pat Bickslow on the shoulder. "Well, Idelle would've gotten to her by now, so… Been nice knowing you, Bix. I'll make sure your funeral is spectacular."

" _Ha-ha_ , very funny," Bickslow muttered. Surely it wasn't going to be that bad. _Right, babies?_

 _"She's going to kill you,"_ they insisted. Bickslow grimaced and decided it was time to go and accept his fate.

"I wasn't kidding," Felix said.

Shaking his head, Bickslow got up and fetched his coffee and shopping bag once again. "Well, I should probably go rescue Lucy…" he mumbled, staring to the door that he realised was actually unlocked since his father had already been in there before him. "Try and convince her not to murder me and all that."

"Good luck. Try and use the door this time, will you?"

"I'll tell Mum you're out here then, shall I?"

"You wouldn't."

It was true. He wouldn't. Mostly because it would involve admitting that he'd been out there hiding as well, and Bickslow really didn't want to do that. But the look of fear that washed over his father's face was definitely worth it.

With the babies following behind him, Bickslow made his way back into the house. By the time he'd passed the pool and the veggie garden by the shed, he already had sweat on his brow from the sun beating down on him. Christmas that year wasn't going to be pleasant at all, and Bickslow really wasn't sure how Scarlett would take to the hot weather.

"Where do you think Cosplayer and Scout will be, babies?" he asked the babies, looking around as he sipped through the straw.

"Sleeping, sleeping!" Pappa answered.

"Sleeping, huh?" Knowing the time, he wouldn't be that surprised if Lucy had put Scarlett back down for a nap. It would just be a matter of finding out where. With the weather though, Bickslow hoped it would be somewhere cool.

Regardless, Bickslow went to the kitchen first to set the formula and the extra bottles away. The rest of what he'd picked up in town was going upstairs to his room, so that's where he headed to next. He'd only planned on dropping the bags down in his room before going to find Lucy, but he didn't have to do that since she was already in his room and lying in the middle of his bed with her head hanging off the side.

"Well, I was going to go look—"

"Shut up," Lucy quickly said, sitting up and regretting it when the room spun. "I only just managed to get her down. Don't wake her."

She'd hoped that Scarlett would be cooperative with her that morning and go down for her morning nap without a fuss, but apparently not. After her bottle, a long walk around the first floor where she almost got lost, and a bit of a play with some of the toys she'd managed to find in one of Bickslow's bags, Lucy had expected Scarlett to want to fall straight asleep. But no, for the last half an hour, Lucy had been struggling with a fussy, crying, overtired infant, and now she had a headache to show for it. The last thing she needed was Bickslow waking her up.

Of course though, the last thing Bickslow _wanted_ to be doing was waking his daughter up anyway. So he merely nodded and leant against his door to gently push it almost all the way closed. With all the curtains closed and all the lights off, it was dark enough that Bickslow almost had trouble seeing where he was going, but it had been his room for the first eighteen years of his life and nothing had really changed since the last time he'd been in there.

Quietly, he dropped the shopping bags down onto his desk before going to just check on Scarlett in the crib. The babies had already gone straight in to nestle themselves up one end just by her feet. He didn't even need to buy her any stuffed toys to sleep with, since she already had the babies to keep her company. Although Bickslow wasn't sure how well they'd do once she started rolling over and moving more. They were a little pointy.

He'd been about to go straight to bed to annoy Lucy before he stopped just at the foot of it. "Wait… You're not going try and kill me if I come any closer, are you?" he asked cautiously. He really wouldn't put it past her to want to hurt him right then.

"No," Lucy sighed. She pulled herself back up again and sluggishly crawled over the mattress to lean against the soft pillows in the sky-blue pillowcases. "I want to, but I really can't be bothered."

"I'll take it." The heat was good for some things, Bickslow supposed. Like saving his life. "Sorry for leaving you here," he said softly, coming to sit on the other side of the bed.

"You're not sorry. And you're a jerk for doing it."

"Fine, but you survived, didn't you?"

" _Just_ ," Lucy mumbled. "I really do think your mother hates me, though."

"What? Come on. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"I'm being serious!" She snatched Bickslow's coffee from his hand before he could take a drink, and ignored his complaints when she sipped through the straw. She could barely even taste the coffee over all the sugar. "God, how much sugar did you add to this?" Lucy cringed. The man had one hell of a sweet tooth.

"Well, I didn't buy it for you," Bickslow pointed out. He couldn't help but roll his eyes when Lucy took another sip though. Apparently the excessive sugar couldn't deter her, and Bickslow only accepted that he wasn't getting his coffee back. "Anyway, why do you think my mother hates you now?"

Lucy shrugged as she shifted to fold her legs under her. She knew full well that Bickslow was just going to tell her she was imagining it again, but Lucy wasn't going to let that stop her from believing she was right. "Well, when I went downstairs to feed Scout, I ran into your mum in the kitchen, and we, uh… We talked for a little while," she began to explain, careful to keep her voice soft so she didn't wake Scarlett. "She seems to think Scout looks like me, by the way."

"She kinda does. Just a little bit."

"No, she doesn't. She looks like you and Katie, because you're her parents."

If Bickslow thought about it though, Lucy and Katie did look a little alike. They weren't twins by any means, but they had their similarities. It had been at the back of his mind during the trial, but he hadn't really noticed it before then. Then again, the only time he'd seen Katie before the trial had been nearly a year earlier and he hadn't exactly been all that sober at the time.

"Fine. She doesn't look like you," he sighed.

"Anyway…" Lucy took another sip before she continued again, "So we talked for a little while, and she asked how I'd gotten involved with you and Scout, and I told her that you asked me for help when you first found her, and I just… I got the impression that she wished you'd gone to someone else. Or that I wasn't involved in all." Lucy wasn't quite sure what the case was, but that was the feeling she'd had since speaking to Idelle that morning, and she didn't really know how Idelle could not like someone who had only helped her son when he had needed it.

Bickslow sighed and sank down into his pillows. He wished he could just tell Lucy she was being stupid, but that time, he couldn't. "Her issue isn't with you personally, don't worry," he mumbled. "It's more to do with me."

"What? How?"

"I don't think she likes that Katie isn't involved." He hadn't really brought it up yet, but when he'd mentioned it at dinner the previous night, he'd gotten the impression that his mother was disappointed in his decision to keep Katie out of Scarlett's life. And, technically, it wasn't _just_ his decision anymore, not with the court having gotten involved, but that wasn't so important. At least Bickslow didn't think so.

Still, as far as his decision to raise Scarlett on his own went, Bickslow just had a feeling that his mother didn't approve. Children seemingly always needed their mothers nearby, no matter how horrible – or at least that was the way Idelle probably saw things.

"But… She knows that she left her daughter on an actual doorstep, right?" Lucy whispered.

"Yep."

"Are you sure that's what she actually thinks, though? I mean, you haven't really said much about it… She really could just hate me being involved."

Bickslow rolled his eyes and lifted his arm just to drape it over Lucy's shoulders and pull her against his side. "No, I'm not sure, but I know my mother so that's bound to be what she thinks," he said, ducking his head to quickly press a kiss to the top of Lucy's head. "And I swear, you are the most negative person I know right now. No one hates you, Cosplayer. It's not even possible to hate you."

"You're just biased…" she mumbled.

"Probably. But no one in this house hates you."

"What about your brother?"

Bickslow groaned. Either Lucy knew that Alexander was visiting that day, or it was just really bad timing. "I don't think it's an issue of him hating you. You're more likely to hate _him_."

"Why on earth would I hate your brother?"

"Because Lex a fucking brat and I don't think anyone but our parents actually like him. Well, and his daughter, although that's debatable sometimes."

"Oh, I'm sure he's not that bad," Lucy disagreed. "Your mum said that I would love him."

He scoffed at her as he took his drink back. "Yeah, no. You'll think he's a dick because that's what he is."

"We'll see…" Aside from being convinced that Idelle hated her, Lucy had found that she liked Bickslow's family. She still wanted to hide in a hole for all eternity, and she was sure the next few days would be horrible, but there was a part of her still enjoying being there. Perhaps that was just because she was enjoying getting to see where Bickslow had come from. "Is this really your old room though?" she asked, turning her head on Bickslow's shoulder to get a better look at the dark room.

"Yeah. Nothing's really changed since I left, either."

"It's kind of hard to believe you grew up here."

"How come?"

"It just… doesn't seem like you, I guess." It felt too _light_. Everything was either light blue, cream, or white. The furniture was all made of light oak, complementing the light hues of everything else in the room. And sure, the room was comfortable enough, but it felt as if something was missing – something like a personal touch. It felt more like a guest room or a hotel room, if anything. Maybe she was just used to the way his room was decorated at home, with dark shades and comfortable furniture and stupid little trinkets everywhere.

"Probably because it's not," Bickslow said. He'd never really liked his room when he'd lived there. He'd never been able to change anything in it, not the colour of the walls or plain fabric on the curtains. He'd barely been able to get rid of the art hanging in the room either, not until he'd been nearly fifteen and made a point of taking down one of the scenery paintings that had been hanging above his desk. He hadn't really had a lot to work with, but he'd done the best he could to make it comfortable at the time. "You know that poster I have hanging next to my closet?"

"What, that stupid shark one?"

"Yeah." He pointed over to the far side of the room where a mostly empty bookcase was, and where an empty spot on the wall was. "I used to have that over there. Mum hated it."

"I'm not surprised. It's a poster of a shark. Who the hell has a shark poster in their room?" Honestly, the first time Lucy had seen it, she'd thought it was something Laxus had left there and Bickslow had never bothered moving.

"Hey! It's a good movie!"

"Wait, that's a _movie_ poster?"

"Did you not see the giant ' _Jaws'_ written at the top of it?" Bickslow mumbled. "Please tell me you've at least seen the first movie."

Lucy shuffled uncomfortably and shrugged, looking across to where Scarlett's crib was by the bookcase. She knew well that Bickslow was a movie buff, at least when it came to anything resembling horror, so if the stupid shark poster was actually from a movie, then it wasn't really surprising to Lucy that she'd never seen it, let alone heard of it. "Well, no…" she admitted quietly. Scarlett was still asleep, thankfully, and Lucy planned on keeping it that way. "Why would I watch a movie about a stupid shark?"

Bickslow shook his head and reminded himself that Lucy wasn't a horrible peasant. "Stupid shark movie…" he muttered under his breath. _Who the hell says that? This is fine_. Bickslow was just going to have to take it upon himself to educate his little soulmate about the finer things in life. "Jaws is a masterpiece, okay. We're watching it before you leave."

"Is that really necessary?" she complained.

"Yes. Yes, it is."

* * *

Bickslow had just been walking back inside after showing Lucy around the grounds when his brother and his own family had been walking through the front door at the other end of the foyer. Bickslow couldn't help but grin. Alexander, on the other hand, grimaced, and tried turning around to run straight back out the door.

"Move, move, move…" The youngest Redfarrow almost tripped over his five-year-old daughter in an attempt to exit the house. "I need to leave, I need to—"

"Don't you fucking run away from me!" Bickslow shouted. Lucy could only watch in stunned silence as Bickslow quickly ran down the hall to chase after his brother. By that time, Alexander's wife had managed to move herself and her daughter out of the way to let Bickslow run straight out the open door.

Alexander didn't get very far before Bickslow caught up to him. He was pulled back by his shirt and then Bickslow's arm was wrapped around his neck to keep him in an uncomfortable position. "Bickslow, brother… How wonderful it is to see you…" he laughed nervously, hands wrapping around Bickslow's wrist to try and loosen the hold around his neck. He'd lost count of how many times Bickslow had put him in a headlock growing up, but it was much more embarrassing (and terrifying) as an adult.

"Oh, I'm sure it is. I enjoyed my birthday present, you know."

"Your birthday present? What was that again?"

"That box of rotten apples you had delivered to my house," Bickslow said.

Alexander paled even more. "Oh… Right… Yes… I forgot about that…"

"Mm-hmm, I bet you did."

By then, Lucy had wandered back out to the front of the house behind who she supposed to be Bickslow's sister-in-law and niece. She had to admit, seeing Bickslow put his brother in a headlock in the middle of the courtyard was not what she'd been expecting.

Alexander coughed and tried straightening up, but failed with Bickslow still keeping him still. "Would you mind, uh… letting me go now?" he asked. He looked to his daughter standing beside his wife on the steps then, and smiled at her quickly. "Elaina, sweetheart, come tell your Uncle Bix to let me go."

The girl shook her head and Bickslow couldn't help but snicker as he loosened his grip on his brother only slightly. "You haven't even said _please_."

"Ple—"

"Bickslow, just let your brother go already!"

He rolled his eyes at his mother shouting at him from the upstairs study window. _Damn it._ "Fine," he muttered, finally lifting his arm back up to let his brother go free. That didn't stop him from kicking the back of Alexander's knee when he tried to head back inside, only to stumble and almost fall face first onto the gravel. "Dickhead."

"Asshole," Alexander muttered back.

Lucy only stepped aside to wait for Bickslow before heading back into the slightly cooler interior. "Do I… Do I even want to ask?" she whispered.

Bickslow shrugged as he gently took Scarlett back from her, pulling off the cute little hat he'd bought earlier that day to sit it on one of the babies. "I'm just being a good older brother," he answered. There really wasn't much else to it. He did that every time he saw his brother. One time, he'd even gotten his brother to punch himself in the face. There were a few perks to being a Seith mage, as far as tormenting his brother went.

Idelle walked down the stairs with Felix behind her before rushing over to Alexander, greeting him almost the same way she'd greeted Bickslow the day before. "One of these days you'll learn not to send your older brother horrible gifts," Idelle sighed, kissing her son's forehead and smoothing down the already slicked back cobalt hair.

"I'm older than him!" Alexander whined.

"Oh, you are fucking not!" Bickslow said.

"Excuse me, who turned twenty-four first this year? I believe I did, thank you very much!"

"Yes, yes, but Bix is younger than he should be, remember?" Idelle said soothingly. She thought she'd no longer have to settle arguments between her children when they'd both reached adulthood… Apparently not. "Anyway, have you met Lucy yet?"

"What? Who?"

Lucy was already beginning to think that Bickslow was right about her hating his brother. She was really just trying to tell herself that first impressions weren't that important.

"This is Lucy!" Idelle said. Lucy smiled awkwardly and gave a small wave as everyone else turned their attention to her. "Lucy, this is Alex, our _youngest_ son. And Alex, this is Lucy. Would you believe she's a Heartfilia?"

 _Of course she says that. Of course she does_. Honestly, if Lucy had known that her family name would be such an interesting topic, she would've just asked Bickslow to pretend her name was something else. "It's nice to meet you," Lucy said with a polite nod.

Alexander reached out to shake her hand just a little too firmly. "Likewise. I was so sorry to hear about your father's passing, Lucy," he said quickly. "Although, not really, because, you know, now I'm one of the richest men in Fio—"

Felix reached forward to flick his son's ear. "Alexander, shush. That was unnecessary. Apologise."

"Right, yes." Alexander nodded quickly and gave a somewhat regretful smile. "Sorry about that. I'm truly sorry for your loss."

"It's… It's fine…" Lucy said softly. It had been a few years since Jude had died now, and she admittedly hadn't thought about him all that much since then. Still, it was just a little painful to have her father's death now associated with Bickslow's brother's success. She hoped it wasn't entirely true.

"Anyway! Lucy is Bickslow's babysitter!" Idelle said in an attempt to lighten the mood, although it didn't seem to work quite the way she'd expected. She only embarrassed her guest and annoyed her son.

"For the love of god…" Bickslow could only roll his eyes and turn to walk away. He got this mother was kidding, but still, he was even more convinced that no one was going to let him forget what he'd said. Idelle couldn't help but giggle quietly to herself as he sulked.

"Babysitter?" Alexander repeated. "You mean you finally listened to my advice and got someone to take care of him?"

"Oh, be quiet. I was only joking," Idelle said. "Lucy's just Bickslow's guest."

"Right… Okay. And, uh, was I imagining it? Or was he just holding a baby?"

"If you mean his daughter, then no, you weren't imagining it."

Alexander stared at his mother for a second with wide eyes before turning his attention back to Lucy. It took her until he tilted his head to understand why he was staring at her, and Lucy's face grew warmer and redder as she shook her head and quickly denied what he was no doubt thinking.

"No! No, no, no… No…" Lucy spluttered. One of those days she was just going to give up and say she was Scarlett's mother. Bickslow had already joked about it once before, so why couldn't she? It would save her some embarrassment… Well, mostly. Still, right then, Lucy was adamantly going to continue denying any relation to the infant. She wasn't going to stick around to hear what else could come out of Alexander's mouth either. "I'm just… I'm going to go this way… And find Bix…"

* * *

With all the Redfarrows in the same room at once, Lucy found it quite easy see the similarities (and even the differences) between them all. At one end of the table, there was Idelle with her chestnut hair that hung in loose curls over her shoulder and the familiar red eyes that would show she was up to no good or that she cared deeply for the person she was looking at. She was the kind of person that could roll out of bed in the middle of the day, completely hungover and looking like an absolute mess, and _still_ look gorgeous. She had the face that looked like it had been carved by the gods themselves.

Lucy kind of envied her for it.

Then there was Felix at the other end of the table. He'd grown rounder and greyer since the time Lucy hat met him when she'd been fourteen. She hadn't seen much of him in the last two days, but Lucy already knew she saw more of Idelle in Bickslow than she did Felix. The slightly tanned skin was from Felix, although whether that was from the Boscan heritage on the Theroux side, or the permanent sunshine in Astrantia, Lucy didn't quite know. She suspected it was a bit of both, since even Alexander sitting opposite Lucy at the dinner table had a slightly darker complexion.

Alexander looked more like Felix, as far as Lucy could see. He still had the same dark blue hair that had no doubt come from his father, whose own black hair was streaked with more grey than blue, and he too had the famous Redfarrow eyes – a rare mutation of genes that Lucy was more than sure had resulted from some morally wrong marriages somewhere in the past – but his features were softer. He didn't have the same sharper edges to him like Bickslow or Idelle did, although that only made Lucy wonder just what kind of person he was. She already knew Bickslow was more jagged around the edges and just a complete and utter dork on the inside. With Alexander though, Lucy couldn't help but feel like there wasn't much more to him than what people saw.

Lucy had been too busy staring at everyone else all through dinner to notice that someone else had been staring back at her. Although Bickslow noticed it before Lucy did, and he slid down on the dining chair as best he could just to reach out and kick his brother's knee under the table. "Quit being a creep."

"Ow! I'm not being a creep," Alexander complained. He slid down slightly to kick Bickslow back, somehow hitting Lucy's shin instead. "You're the one who's a creep."

"That was me you just kicked…" Lucy said quietly. It hadn't hurt, thankfully, but she certainly didn't appreciate it.

"See? Now look what you've done!" Bickslow said.

"You started it!" Alexander shouted.

"You're the one who was being a creep and staring at Lucy!"

Idelle sighed as she set her glass of water back on the table. Perhaps it was going to be a wine night after all. "Will you please both just stop it?" It never failed to amaze her how both of her adult children could turn back into actual children when around each other. She expected it from Bickslow, but not so much Alexander.

The two quickly stopped their bickering and hung their heads, both muttering a "Sorry, Mother," at the same time. Lucy almost thought she was seeing and hearing things.

"Anyway. Enough business talk," Felix chimed in. Lucy hadn't even noticed what everyone had been talking about, she'd been too busy staring at everyone. He turned to the small girl sitting just next to him at the table and offered a kind smile. "Are you excited for Christmas, Elaina?"

She nodded her head quickly. "Mama let me help with tree!"

"You got to help decorate the tree? Did you add lots of pretty lights?"

"Lots of purple and pink ones!"

"The only colours you should ever decorate a tree with," Bickslow scoffed. Lucy had yelled at him when he'd wanted to get all purple baubles and tinsel. "Red and green are overrated."

"Green is gross."

"Right?"

Idelle shook her head at them. "Anyway, what about you, Bix?" she asked. "Did you actually buy a tree this year and set it up before you left?"

"Lucy made me buy one," he mumbled.

"Well, good. We don't set ours up until Christmas Eve. Perhaps you could help me decorate the tree tomorrow, Lucy?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. I guess," Lucy said. She hoped Bickslow would be roped into it as well, because the thought of being stuck in a room with just Idelle terrified her right then. Either way, decorating a Christmas tree wasn't exactly what Lucy would've liked to spend her time doing, but she was still a guest and she couldn't offend her hosts.

Bickslow refrained from throwing something at his brother then. He had the manners of a two-year-old, not that Bickslow could really talk, but right then, he was really starting to piss him off. "Honestly dude, what is so fascinating about her?" he asked instead. He wouldn't asked what the fuck was wrong with the guy instead, but Elaina had already told him off earlier for his swearing. He wasn't supposed to say bad words around her.

Alexander sighed before he nonchalantly said, "I'm trying to figure out if she's your kid's babysitter, or if she's actually _your_ babysitter." The way he saw it, either one was possible.

"I swear to god, I lose brain cells whenever I see you," Bickslow mumbled.

"Bickslow, that's not very nice," Idelle said.

"Do you hear the shit that comes out of his mouth sometimes?"

"Do you hear what comes out of yours half the time?" Alexander countered. He really did think it was a logical question though, which was why he looked to Lucy instead and asked, "So which one are you babysitting? Because really, either is possible."

"Alex, please don't be rude," Idelle sighed.

"I'm not being rude. I'm asking a valid question. So?"

"I'm not… I'm not _actually_ a babysitter…" Lucy said sheepishly. She knew that's what Idelle had introduced her as earlier to Alexander, but she knew it had been a joke as well – although that in itself Lucy hated, and she was sure she was going to go down in history as _'the babysitter.'_ She might as well put it on her gravestone. Still, if she _was_ a babysitter, Lucy wasn't sure whose babysitter she actually was. She had a feeling she was there for Bickslow's benefit over anyone else's. She wasn't going to say that though. She could be nice, not that Bickslow deserved it. "I just happen to help with Scarlett a little."

"Right, so you're basically her babysitter." He turned to his wife beside him while shaking his head. "Even _Bix_ was smart enough to get a babysitter. Why couldn't we get one for Elaina? I told you it'd be easier. We're definitely getting a sitter for the next one."

"Next one? What do you mean?" Idelle asked, before her eyes lit up with realisation. "Oh! You're not thinking of having baby, are you?"

"I'm getting a baby sister!" Elaina announced before either of her parents could say anything. She was so excited she was almost bouncing off her chair. "Or baby brother. I hope baby brother."

"Another baby! Oh, how exciting! When will that be, Anya?"

"In July," she answered.

Lucy was almost surprised she'd even answered. It was the first time she'd heard Alexander's wife say anything all afternoon. She'd only learnt her name from Bickslow after he'd finished being told off for swearing by Elaina. She had a slight accent that Lucy couldn't quite place, though she suspected that Anya was from one of the Eastern most countries, perhaps as far as Bellum, judging by the fair skin, dark hair, and even her name.

"Well, congratulations," Felix said.

"This is just wonderful." Idelle was smiling too much to even finish eating her dinner. Christmas that year was shaping up to be the best one yet. "Bickslow's got a daughter now, and you and Anya are going to be having another baby next year… I'm so happy for all of you. It's just so rewarding being a parent, getting to see your children grow up and start their own families…"

Bickslow couldn't help but grimace as his mother finished with a sniffle. Even Alexander could only give an awkward nod and a smile.

Idelle picked up her clean napkin to dab at the single tear that had fallen from her eye. "Anyway, what about you, Lucy?"

"Hm?"

"Any plans of starting your own family anytime soon?" she asked.

Bickslow almost choked. He could not see that conversation ending well at all.

"Oh, um… I don't really know, to be honest…" Lucy answered. _What the fuck kind of question is that_? The Redfarrows seemed to have the most interesting dinner conversations, from what Lucy had seen from the last two nights. Still, she certainly hadn't expected Idelle to ask if she was going to have children. That just felt ten kinds of wrong to Lucy, even if she knew Idelle had only asked it as an innocent question. "I haven't really thought about it. I guess it's not something I'm really interested in at the moment…"

"But babies are so wonderful! It's different when it's your own child, too. And it's such an amazing experience, being able to bring new life into the world."

"I'm sure it is."

"Can we please drop this subject?" Bickslow asked quietly. He had no idea how Lucy felt, but it was making him uncomfortable as all hell. He was smart enough to avoid that topic as best he could those days since he still remembered making Lucy cry when he'd kept joking about them having kids together at some point if they'd been married. Had he known that his mother would actually pester Lucy about having children, then Bickslow honestly would've made a point of asking her to avoid the subject. Lucy was the one worried about offending his parents, but so far, his mother was the only one causing problems – unintentionally, of course, but still.

"I wasn't talking to you, so shush," Idelle said as she rolled her eyes. She brushed it off so easily that Bickslow had to scream at the babies in his head for a second. "Anyway, you're already doing a wonderful job with Scarlett, so you'll no doubt be a great mother to your own children someday."

"I'm sure," Lucy repeated. "I'm just not sure it's really for me, that's all. At least right now."

"Oh. But how come? You can't work as a mage forever, so you must do _something_ with your life."

Bickslow refrained from biting his nails as he asked once more, "Seriously, can we talk about something else? Like the weather, maybe?" He still wasn't sure how Lucy was dealing with that all, but he knew that she was making an effort to keep her answers polite, which he had to give her credit for. Sometimes she put up with too much, and Bickslow knew that all too well.

Idelle finally sighed and turned her attention to her son for a moment. "Really Bix, what is your problem?" she asked.

"It's a super weird conversation and it's really not the kind of thing you should be asking someone about over dinner."

"And you're an expert on etiquette, are you?" Alexander scoffed.

Bickslow was just going to ignore that one. "Just change the subject. Please."

"Well, if you're uncomfortable, you can be excused," Idelle said firmly. She really wasn't sure what the issue was, but she expected more from Bickslow, especially now that he had his own child. "Anyway, Lucy. If you don't want children now, that's fine. But, I'm positive that you'll change your mind at some point. Although you mustn't wait too long, since you'll—"

"She can't fucking have kids, for the love of every fucking god in the universe, stop asking her about it," Bickslow suddenly blurted out, dragging his hands down his face. The words had barely left his mouth before he realised what he'd just said, and for once in his life, Bickslow was actually at a loss for what to say next.

"Awkward…" Alexander whispered.

He was almost too scared to turn to look at Lucy beside him, just because he knew she was staring back at him and wondering silently if she'd actually just had to hear what had come out of his mouth. Of all the horrible and stupid things he'd done, that was one of the worst. Not _the_ worst, but it was pretty high up there. The fact that it was to Lucy was just even worse. "I… I'm so sorry. I didn't… I shouldn't have said that…" Bickslow managed softly, shaking his head.

Lucy could only set her cutlery down to quietly excuse herself from the table.

"Now I understand why you wanted me to change the subject…" Idelle mumbled. "Perhaps I should go apologise…"

"No. Don't." The last thing Bickslow needed or wanted was his mother going upstairs to try and fix it. That was his problem now, because he was the one who'd just fucked it up. But everything only seemed to get worse when Scarlett, who Bickslow had been holding on his lap the entire night and had been quiet and perfect the whole time, began to cry. At that point, Bickslow really didn't think things could get any worse, but he knew they no doubt would. "Can someone just… I need to go and—"

"Here, give her to me," Felix offered. He pushed back his chair to hold his arms out for the infant, holding her carefully once Bickslow had passed her to him.

When Bickslow reached the top of the stairs, he just made out the sound of a door slamming. For a second, he considered just letting Lucy have some space for a little while, but he had a feeling that would do more harm than good. He also had a feeling that Lucy didn't even want to talk to him right then, which Bickslow would admit was fair, but he couldn't just leave it without properly apologising, either.

He stared at the closed door for a moment, only sighing as he leant his head against the frame. "Lucy… Come on, I'm sorry," Bickslow called through the door. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry, I am."

Lucy pulled the door open so quickly that Bickslow regretted resting his head there. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she hissed.

"I… I honestly don't know." Clearly, something was wrong though. He wouldn't have blurted that shit out otherwise. "But I'm sorry. Really. I just… I don't know what else to say other than I am so, so fucking sorry."

"It wasn't your place to say _anything_ , let alone _that_." Lucy knew she hadn't really had much choice in telling Bickslow that she couldn't have her own children, but she'd still trusted him enough to not tell anyone else. She wasn't even thinking about what Bickslow's family thought now, especially Idelle – although Lucy was pretty confident that they were no doubt just pitying her. All Lucy was concerned with right then was how Bickslow had so easily blurted it out to his family and betrayed her that way, because for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what had possessed Bickslow to get involved in the conversation. It had been her secret and hers alone, but Bickslow had just gone and ruined that. "Why did you have to say anything at all?" she asked.

"Because I knew you weren't going to say anything because you're just too nice to do that. And my mother… She would've just kept asking and asking about it, and I just… I didn't want you to have to put up with that shit because it wouldn't have been fair and I didn't want you to get hurt."

"God, Bix, I don't need you defending me!" That just made it worse. "It was fine! I'm not so… So _fragile_ that I can't even hold a conversation with someone without bursting into tears."

Bickslow nodded. "I… I know. You're right. And I'm sorry, really. Just tell me what I can do to make it up to you."

 _Sorry_ didn't really mean much to Lucy, though. And there wasn't really anything Bickslow could do or say to make up for it. Everything would've been fine if he'd just kept his mouth shut, but no, he'd had the play the saviour because he'd been too worried about her feelings getting hurt, and he'd just made things exponentially worse.

She was almost tempted to just grab her bag and go find a motel in town, that's how little she wanted to deal with Bickslow; no doubt if she left early enough in the morning, she'd be able to get the train back to Magnolia, too. But Lucy couldn't even do that. She wanted to, but she knew it would _still_ make things worse, and for some stupid fucking reason, she didn't want to upset Bickslow by leaving, despite how she thought it would be completely warranted.

But with there being nothing Bickslow could do to make up for the stupid thing he'd said, Lucy could only shake her head at him and slam the door in his face. It was slightly satisfying to do so, but the satisfaction only lasted for a second.

Bickslow was smart enough to leave her alone for the rest of the evening.

* * *

 _This was supposed to be the Christmas chapter, and I had planned on getting it finished to post on/around Christmas this year. But... That didn't happen. This chapter kind of got away from me, so Christmas will be in the next chapter. It won't be getting posted until next year though, since I have a lot of other stories I want to work on before coming back to this._

 _Anyway, I'm all done with the semester now! Hopefully my summer holidays will be spent writing and getting lots of stories updated (although it's unlikely). Souls and Spirits and A Peculiar Situation are going to be my priorities for a little while though, just because they're both nearing the end and I'd love to get those two monsters finished up._

 _For now, thank you for sticking with my non-existent writing lately! Reviews are always appreciated. I'll try and get something posted again soon... Maybe._


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